Desktop Editions

The desktop editions do not have a set upper limit, but your computer will eventually run out of memory. The point at which this becomes unworkable will vary, depending on what you want to do, what your painting is using, and how powerful your computer is.

If you’re using the latest desktop version (4.5), it has 64 bit support and can work at very large file sizes, easily up to 15,000 pixels on most computers. It can save larger files, but is limited by your computer memory and speed, so you may have trouble working with files larger than that.

If you’re using ArtRage 4.0.6 or earlier, the maximum canvas size isn’t limited, but the lack of 64 bit support means that most computers will struggle with larger sizes. 8,000-10,000 is the practical upper limit for most people. You can create larger canvases, but you may encounter very slow working speeds and instability.

Mobile Editions

If you’re using one of the mobile editions, then the maximum canvas size is capped at 2048 x 2048 with a few exceptions.

ArtRage for iPad on iPad Pro 11″: 4096 x 4096

ArtRage for iPad on iPad 1 devices: 1400 x 1400

ArtRage for iPhone: 960 x 640

Tips for Creating Larger Canvases

Start with a smaller area and then expand the canvas as you work

Fill large areas (e.g. backgrounds) at smaller sizes, then resize the canvas.

What devices and operating systems does ArtRage work with?

ArtRage is compatible with wide range of devices, as well as iOS, Android, Windows and Mac operating systems. While we try and ensure that ArtRage will work with as many systems as possible, some older operating systems will not work with newer editions of ArtRage.

I know the model. Can I just ask you if it will work with ArtRage?

Unfortunately we can’t give you a guaranteed answer to every possible device, as we may never have had a chance to use it, or the software may have changed at some point.

If you’re looking at a very specific device, your best bet is probably just asking the forums and see if anyone else has used it successfully.

If you get the opportunity to try the device out, we strongly recommend downloading the ArtRage demo and testing that first.

ArtRage as Bundled Software

ArtRage comes along with the purchase of a number of devices, such as Wacom tablets, Surface Pro Tablets, Adesso Cybertablets and Sony VAIO laptops. We do not have direct control over how ArtRage is packaged, or which the specific devices the retailer bundles ArtRage with, but all the possible devices are fully compatible with ArtRage (barring unusual software configurations, bugs, or out of date drivers). You can learn more about ArtRage as bundled software here.

What is the PTG Extension?

ArtRage paintings all use a unique, proprietary, file type, the .PTG extension. The file type can only be opened by ArtRage and can be used across all the different editions (including the free demos and iOS versions).

The reason we use a special file type is because ArtRage needs a way to preserve all the unique traditional painting aspects of the program, such as paint thickness, canvas texture, realistic colour mixing, lighting and how the different media should interact. It also records more standard attributes, such as layers and transparency, and preserves ArtRage-specific attributes such as pinned References, tracing images and symmetry.

What are the different ArtRage editions?

There are a number of different ArtRage editions, some of which are no longer available for purchase through our website. Ambient Design first released ArtRage in 2004, and it is currently up to ArtRage 4, along with ArtRage Lite, three mobile editions and a free demo. Some of the older editions are still available as bundled software with graphics tablets and other devices from third party companies.

While we do not make any earlier editions publically available through our website, if you own an earlier copy of ArtRage, you can register it in our Member Area and download it again whenever you wish.

Our desktop editions are all available for both Mac OSX and Windows. You can switch between the two platforms whenever you need to by downloading the correct installer from the Member Area.

ArtRage 1

Released in 2004, this was the original, free, program. It was much more basic than the later editions, with no layers or editing tools. It won the grand prize in the Microsoft® Tablet PC Does Your Application Think in Ink? contest.

ArtRage 2

Released in 2006 and still bundled for sale with some third party products (e.g. Wacom tablets). Currently up to version 2.6.

ArtRage Deluxe Edition: Sold on CD-ROM by a third party company called Smith Micro. It is effectively the same program as ArtRage 2

ArtRage 2 Japanese Edition: This version was sold in Japan with Wacom tablets and supports Japanese and English interfaces and manuals.

ArtRage 2 Wacom China Edition: This version was developed for China and was bundled with Wacom tablets. It supports Simplified Chinese interface.

ArtRage 3

Released in 2009, this edition was split into two separate products: Studio and Studio Pro. Both versions are still available with many third party devices, such as certain Wacom tablets, Sony laptops, Adesso Cybertablets, and ASUS tablets, as well as other products. ArtRage Studio Pro was also available on Steam at the end of 2012, although it has since been replaced by ArtRage 4. It is currently up to version 3.5.11

If you bought one of these two editions with a tablet or other hardware, then you can register it and upgrade to ArtRage 4 at a 50% discount.

ArtRage Studio: The more basic edition, without some of the most advanced features such as Script and Sticker creation (although it is able to use existing Stickers and Scripts).

ArtRage Studio Pro: The more advanced version, which contained professional level features.

ArtRage 4.5

Released in 2013, this is the most recent edition and the only one sold from our website. It is not currently bundled with any other products, and is only available from us, or via the Steam store. It is currently up to version 4.5 and can be bought through this page.

The 4.5 update was released 11th August, 2014 and includes 64 bit support. It does not support Windows XP, so the previous version 4.0.6 is still available for download to owners of this edition.

Any owners of previous editions are able to upgrade to ArtRage 4.5 with a 50% discount. For more information, see ArtRage Upgrades.

ArtRage 4 Demo edition: The free trial version that is currently available from our website. It does not have a time limit, but has restricted export capabilities and a few other limited features. It is a separate program to ArtRage 4, so if you purchase the full edition, you will need to install it separately alongside the Demo. The Demo can be downloaded here.

ArtRage Lite

Released in 2015, ArtRage Lite replaces Studio and Studio Pro and acts as an introductory version of ArtRage 4. It includes all the natural media tools, and all the basic digital editing features. ArtRage Lite can be bought through this page.

It includes support for Windows 10 and 64-bit systems, but doesn’t support Windows XP.

Any owners of ArtRage Lite are able to upgrade to ArtRage 4.5 with a 50% discount. For more information, see ArtRage Upgrades.

Mobile Editions

ArtRage for iPad

Released in 2010, the iPad app edition is available through the iTunes App Store. It is a modified version of ArtRage Studio Pro, with a reduced number of features. It is able to create Scripts and paintings that can be opened with the desktop versions of ArtRage. It is compatible with iOS 6 and up. It is currently up to version 1.6 and can be bought through the iTunes App Store.

ArtRage for iPhone

Released in 2012, the iPhone edition is a very basic version that concentrates on the fundamental painting tools. It is compatible with iOS 4 and up, and will work on the iPad and iPod Touch as well as iPhones. It is currently up to version 1.0 and can be bought through the iTunes App Store)

ArtRage for Android

The ArtRage for Android app was launched October 2014 in the Samsung GALAXY Gifts store. It is available for free for Samsung GALAXY Note 4 and Note Edge owners, as well as selected GALAXY Tab devices, through GALAXY Gifts, but is also available for purchase in the Samsung GALAXY App store and the Google Play store.

The app itself is very similar to the ArtRage for iPad app, with a full range of natural media painting tools and desktop-compatible files.

CMYK Colors

Limiting to CMYK while drawing would cause inaccuracies and poor results in paint blending because the range of colours available in CMYK is smaller. We need the largest range of colour values available for generating partial blend results during paint mixing calculations.

When you convert, the application (Photoshop in this case) converts any non CMYK legal colours in your image. If you painted in CMYK you’d get the same limited palette. This is why ArtRage works in RGB, we try to avoid reducing your colour palette as much as possible.

Why doesn’t ArtRage convert from RGB to CMYK when the painting is finished?

Converting from RGB to CMYK is an advanced operation that ArtRage is not currently suited for. We recommend using programs that are specifically designed for CMYK to convert the final picture.

What languages does ArtRage support?

Each edition of ArtRage supports several different languages, and has manuals in English. Some of the older versions also have manuals in other languages.

When ArtRage starts for the first time it uses the language used by your operating system. The language used can be changed by opening ArtRage’s help menu, then clicking on ‘Select Language’, choosing the language you want and restarting ArtRage when prompted.

The ‘stroke gap’ resembles a lag when using ArtRage but is actually part of the realistic painting process

Many new ArtRage users notice what appears to be lag when they first use the app. While ArtRage can lag when performing demanding operations, the ‘stroke gap’ is a consistent, non-performance related phenomenon. It is the possible area of effect for your next movement.

It exists as an empty gap between the leading edge of a stroke, and your cursor, or the pressure point of the stylus. This gap will stay empty until you move or lift the stylus (or finger).

It is part of ArtRage’s real time stroke calculations; much like painting with a real brush, the stroke on a canvas is not finished, nor visible, until you move the brush on (if you stop and hold a brush in one spot, you won’t be able to see the stroke that has not yet been finished in that spot).

Size of the gap

The size is based on your current tool size, so the gap increases with larger brushes. The gap is literally the ‘largest possible stroke that you could be about to make’. The larger the selected tool, the larger the gap.

It is extremely visible on mobile devices, because they do not have a cursor to indicate brush size. The Outline cursor on the desktop will circle the entire stroke gap, making it clearer that it is part of the brush stroke, and not just a lag in the program. You can see in the images below that the ‘stroke gap’ actually extends in front of your cursor as well as behind. The gap measures the distance between the midpoint of the stroke (i.e. where you are placing pressure with a stylus) and the end of the current stroke.

The stroke gap is a constant size relative to your tool size. It increases with larger brush sizes, and is approximately the size as one ‘dot’ made at full pressure.

Why it Happens

The gap is there because ArtRage is waiting to see what you’ll do next. The next part of the stroke will look very different if you lift the stylus away, double back, change pressure, run into and blend with other paint, or just continue exactly as you are. It would be much more confusing to project a stroke that changed after you kept going.

The ‘stroke gap’ looks different with different tools, sizes and cursors.It is much harder to spot on a mobile app, such as ArtRage for Android or ArtRage for iPad, as these apps have no visible cursor. It is often confused with lag on these devices.

How can I avoid it? It bugs me.

You can’t ‘turn it off’, as it’s built into the way ArtRage works, but you can reduce the visibility of the gap by zooming out of your canvas view, decreasing the tool size, experimenting with different tools (some display it more clearly than others), or by turning on the Outline cursor in the desktop versions.

It tends not to be noticeable once you become familiar with ArtRage, as you learn what will happen when you make particular strokes.

How can I tell if I’m seeing ‘stroke gap’ or real lag?

Stroke Gaps are constant

A stroke gap will always be a constant size as you draw, and will scale relative to the tool size.

To estimate the size the ‘stroke gap’ should be, make a full pressure ‘dot’ on the canvas with your current tool. The ‘gap’ will be about half the width of this dot.

Note that settings such as Softness (eraser), Hardness (Airbrush), Paper Wetness and Bleed (Watercolor) will affect the apparent size of strokes. For example, in the image below, you can see that the eraser make very different marks at 0% and 100% Softness. The 0% Softness is the closest to the actual tool size.

Trying to estimate the 'stroke gap' (area of effect) from the 100% softness eraser will be very inaccurate.[” width=”940″ height=”341″ class=”size-large wp-image-7455″ /> The appearance of a larger eraser with different levels of softness.Trying to estimate the ‘stroke gap’ (area of effect) from the 100% softness eraser will be very inaccurate.

Lag varies depending on what you do

Lag will cause the stroke to be further behind as you draw longer, faster and bigger strokes, or as your device runs out of memory for other reasons (e.g. multiple apps running, large canvas sizes, little free space). It will not be directly tied to the brush size (though larger brushes use more processing power). There are a few ways to reduce the memory usage.

If you see a very noticeable difference between drawing fast strokes and slow strokes, or between drawing the same stroke at different canvas sizes, that is lag.

Note: Some mobile devices cannot process fast strokes above a certain speed. This isn’t ArtRage lagging, but a built in limitation of the device.

Find the manual in the Desktop Editions

You can find your ArtRage manual under the application itself by going to Help > ArtRage Manual or by pressing F1 In ArtRage 3 or 4. Press Ctrl + F1 in ArtRage 2.

How to open the ArtRage manual from ArtRage 4

Find the manual in the ArtRage for iPad App

Tap the ? symbol in ArtRage for iPad to access the iPad manual. You can find this in the bottom centre of your screen, in the canvas view. The help section is hidden under the menu button in the top right corner in the Gallery view.

File > Export As Image

Why Does ArtRage Do This?

ArtRage does not give you the option to save in different formats because the ArtRage PTG file is the only one capable of saving all of the media information for your painting. If you were to accidentally “save” your painting as a JPEG (for example), then you would lose layers, transparency, paint wetness, paint thickness, lighting direction, and canvas texture, as well as any attached References, Tracing Images, Color Samples or other ArtRage specific features.

However, because you still need to use your paintings in other programs, it gives you a choice of formats to use to export a copy of your painting.

How do I reduce the amount of memory my paintings use while painting?

ArtRage is a very memory intensive program, due to the number of calculations involved in creating realistic paint, and the many options you can turn on while painting. If you find that ArtRage is slowing down significantly at larger sizes, there are a few things you can do to free up memory and speed up the painting process.

Paint at a smaller canvas size

Reduce the number of layers (for example, by merging layers once you have finished with them)

Remove unused References, Scraps, Tracing images

Use smaller files for the References and Tracing images

Avoid memory intensive tools, such as Transform and the largest sizes of certain tools (Soft Blend palette knife, Watercolors).

Opening PTG files in a different version of ArtRage

Yes. All versions of ArtRage, including the iPad and the Demo, create PTG files and can open and edit these. So any paintings you create in one version (e.g. the Demo) can be continued with another version (e.g. the iPad or ArtRage 4).

Note: If you import an extremely large painting to the iPad, then you may run out of memory.

ArtRage Desktop Editions

ArtRage as Bundled Software

ArtRage comes along with the purchase of a number of devices, such as Wacom tablets, Surface Pro Tablets, Adesso Cybertablets and Sony VAIO laptops. We do not have direct control over how ArtRage is packaged, which the specific devices the retailer bundles ArtRage with, but all the possible devices are fully compatible with ArtRage (barring unusual software configurations, bugs, or out of date drivers).

I have OSX and Windows, do I need to buy a copy for each platform?

ArtRage can be purchased for both Windows & OS X – providing you with one serial key, but two download files depending on what version you wish to use.

Your ArtRage license is for a single user, but if you wish to install on more than one platform for your own use you can register your key in the Member Area and download the installer for any of the platforms the product is available on.

Does ArtRage install any additional software such as AdWare

ArtRage does not contain any additional software. It does not contain any adware, spyware or malware of any sort.

We here at Ambient Design respects your privacy and remain unintrusive, even in our demo software. We will not apply any nasty extras or advertising into our products and ensure that there are no viruses in our downloads.

We can not guarantee this if you have downloaded our software from third party websites. Some sites might of repackage our software with something malicious, this is against our policy and illegal to do, but still may happen. We recommend you download the software only from our official site or highly trusted sites. It is ideal to have a good quality virus scanner and firewall installed. For safety, virus scan any downloaded file from the internet first before running it.

If you believe you have been infected, there are various programs that can help ensure your PC is clean and eliminate any nasty spyware, such as:

Do I have to pay for a subscription to use ArtRage?

Buying ArtRage is a one off purchase. We do not use a subscription model and have no plans to switch to one. Once you purchase your ArtRage licence then it is yours for life, and you can download any updates from the Member Area as needed.

I want to install ArtRage on an additional computer, is this ok?

If you want to install ArtRage on one additional computer for your own use, that is ok with us.

The purchased ArtRage serial key is for a single user, but we allow you to install ArtRage on multiple devices for your own use. This can be either Windows and/or Mac OS-X, providing you with a download installation file for each platform.

Does ArtRage 4.5 Support Windows XP?

No. Unfortunately, Windows XP support had to be dropped in the 4.5 update, as it was not capable of supporting certain upgraded features. ArtRage 4.5 supports Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8/8.1, and Windows 10 (as well as Mac OS 10.6 and later).

Microsoft provided support for Windows XP for the past 12 years. However, as of April 8, 2014, support and updates for Windows XP are no longer available. Accordingly later hardware/software features also become unsupported that is used in ArtRage 4.5, however we will still provide you with a different copy that will work with Windows XP due to this reason.

We have a download of the last supported version, ArtRage 4.0.6, available in the Member Area.

If you own an ArtRage 4.5 licence, you can register the serial there and choose to download the older version instead. You are then also able to download ArtRage 4.5, if you upgrade to a supported Operating System (such as Windows 7, 8/8.1, or 10).

Can’t install on Windows XP and getting “Disk1.cab has an invalid digital signature”

If you are getting the following error:

A file that is required cannot be installed because the cabinet file C:\Documents and Settings\…\Application Data\Ambient Design\ArtRage Studio Pro\install\disk1.cab has an invalid digital signature. This may indicate that the cabinet file is corrupt.

This is usually a Windows XP issue and has been occurring with increasing frequency since Microsoft stopped supporting this operating system.

It is due to either the relevant digital certificates not being installed on your computer or a deeper problem on your system. Unfortunately the certificate and verification system are entirely handled by Microsoft, so we cannot help you fix this problem directly.

How to install ArtRage when you get this error

Option 1: Copy the ArtRage files from another computer

The easiest way around it is generally to download ArtRage on a different computer, then save the file to a USB drive and use that to copy it to the computer that you want to install ArtRage to.

You can either install directly to a USB (choosing a location is an option during the install process) or install normally and then find the files by going to:

Copy the entire folder and transfer it to the computer that you want ArtRage on.

Option 2: Turn off digital signature checking

The core of the problem is that your Windows installation is unable to contact the certificate provider that can verify the installer’s security certificate. This can happen for a number of reasons and it can be really hard to track down the cause. There are two things that you can try easily that may help:

If your Windows XP machine is unable to connect to the internet, Windows cannot verify the validity of the digital signature in the file. Make sure your machine can connect.

Windows requires that secure installers be verified before installation, which in turn requires that the OS is able to talk to the certificate provider to double check the certificate in the installer file. If your XP machine is unable to connect to the internet, or unable to contact the certificate provider, Windows will generate the error you see.

You can tell Windows not to check the digital signature of the file by turning on ‘Allow software to run or install even if the signature is invalid’ in the Internet Options section of your Control Panel or from Internet Explorer.

Locate the Internet Options panel which is either in your Control Panel or accessible from Internet Explorer.

Select the Advanced tab and scroll down the list of advanced options until you find the Security section.

Look for an item called (or similar to) ‘Allow software to run or install even if the signature is invalid’. Turn that ON.

Okay the panel.

What this does is tell Windows that the certificate of an application doesn’t need to be checked before installation. This can fix the problem you see, but in some cases Windows ignores that option and checks anyway.

Important: Turning off that option reduces your computer security – If it works for installing ArtRage you may want to turn it back on afterwards.

Option 3: Turn off digital signature checking

It is also possible to manually install a verification certificate to allow Windows to verify the file offline, but this is quite complex. You would have to download or copy the certificate from elsewhere to do this.

This option is a lot more complicated and varies with each individual computer, so if you require assistance, please contact us directly through our Tech Support form.

Which folders does ArtRage 4.5 install to when I update to it?

There are two standard places for programs to be installed on the C:// drive on Windows: Program Files and Program Files (x86). Traditionally, the (x86) folder is used for 32 bit applications and the Program Files folder is used for 64 bit applications.

However, this is simply a matter of organisation and it does not actually matter which folder an application installs to. 64 bit applications work fine from the (x86) folder and still run in 64 bit mode, the two folders are just folders, they have no special effect on how the operating system handles their contents.

Where does ArtRage 4.5 install?

ArtRage 4.5 installs to either of the above folders depending on the following:

If you had a previous version of ArtRage installed the 4.5 update installs over that old version.

If you did not have a previous version of ArtRage installed the 4.5 update installs either:

To Program Files (x86) if you are running 32 bit Windows.

To Program Files if you are running 64 bit Windows.

This means that if you had a version of ArtRage 4.0 installed in Program Files (x86) the new 4.5 update will install to that folder as well, even if you are using 64 bit Windows. This prevents shortcuts, file associations, and Windows Installer records being damaged.

As noted above, this has no effect whatsoever on the performance of the application.

Does ArtRage use Digital Rights Management or use any kind of background services?

The desktop versions of ArtRage do not use DRM, or run any kind of background services. There is no additional software installed, and there are no ads. Once you have successfully installed ArtRage, you do not need an internet connection at all (other than to check for updates. You can ignore this, or even turn it off entirely and check the forums yourself). We do recommend installing updates, however, as they tend to be important fixes or useful new features (see the update histories here).

The iOS apps are linked to your iTunes account and Apple profiles. They do not have any adware or other background services and are purely art apps.

You may install ArtRage on an additional computer for your own use. If you own two computers, upgrade to a new one, or want to temporarily use it elsewhere, then all you have to do is install, enter your serial number, and start drawing.

If you wish to use ArtRage on more computers, contact us for bulk and educational licencing options.

We also recommend uninstalling ArtRage when giving away computers as it is very easy to find the serial number. This could lead to problems for you later if someone else registers it before you do (preventing you from accessing updates), or causes it to be locked.

DRM in the Steam Editions

ArtRage Studio Pro did include DRM when it was originally released on Steam. This was removed in later updates and entirely in ArtRage 4.

It was originally there to allow ArtRage to run through the Steam platform without needing a serial number. The DRM-free version requires users to enter a serial number the first time they launch ArtRage.

How do I update ArtRage to the latest version?

Incremental updates are provided freely from time to time for our products. The latest versions may contain bug fixes and/or enhancements, etc.

To download updates you will need to register an account with us at //members.artrage.comunless you are using a mobile iOS version or bought your copy of ArtRage through Steam. Both of these install updates automatically through iTunes and Steam and cannot be registered in the Member Area. All other desktop editions can be registered normally.

There is an internal update check in ArtRage. If you leave this on, the pop up News Panel will inform you if there is a new version, and provide a button to link to the Member Area.

If you have turned the update check off, you can perform it manually through the Help menu.

ArtRage 4

Select ‘Help > Check For Updates’ from the menus inside the product.

ArtRage Studio / Studio Pro

Select ‘Help > ArtRage News and Updates’ from the menus inside the product.

ArtRage 2

To update ArtRage, open ArtRage’s Help menu and click on ‘Check for updates online’.

The old internal update system on ArtRage 2 does not work with our current website. You can download the latest version of ArtRage directly from //members.artrage.com.

ArtRage 2 is an old product. The latest version is 2.6, and there are unlikely to be any future updates.

My ArtRage download doesn’t complete properly

Before downloading ArtRage, make sure to temporarily disable any download accelerators, download managers or browser download addons. These can on occasion cause problems with downloads. If you find this doesn’t help, please contact us via the support page, let us know where you’re trying to download from, what operating system and browser you’re using, what is happening and the full text of any error messages you see and we’ll be happy to help or provide an alternative.

I’ve purchased ArtRage, but I’m not sure how to download it

After you complete your purchase of ArtRage from our online store, you should see download links displayed for Windows and OS X. Click the download link for your operating system to download the ArtRage installer. If you have closed the page, the online store also sends you an email with your serial number and download links for ArtRage. Click the link in the email to download the ArtRage installer.

If you have any problems, please feel free to contact us via the ‘send a support request‘ option and we’ll be happy to help.

Once you have your serial number, you can also download ArtRage directly from our website whenever you like via the Member Area.

Downloading ArtRage software again?

To download a new installer for your ArtRage software you need to register a user account in the ArtRage Member Area.

After logging in to the Member Area, you will need to register your software if you have not done so previously.

Once you have an account on the Member Area and have registered your software, you can download your software at any point by logging in, and clicking the download button just beneath your ArtRage serial number / registration key.

Users of ArtRage Deluxe can download the software from the Member’s Area but the additional DVD content is not available for download from Ambient Design. For further assistance downloading additional content please contact the publisher via their SmithMicro Support.

I purchased ArtRage Deluxe on DVD but haven’t received the package

Ambient Design Ltd. does not have purchase information for any version of ArtRage Deluxe as sales are handled entirely by the external vendor. If you need information on a purchase of ArtRage Deluxe please contact the vendor or visit the publisher’s support page at http://www.smithmicro.com/support

I purchased ArtRage but I haven’t received any download info

After you complete your purchase of ArtRage from our online store, you should see download links displayed for Windows and OS X. Click the download link for your operating system to download the ArtRage installer. If you have closed the page, the online store also sends you an email with your serial number and download links for ArtRage. Click the link in the email to download the ArtRage installer.If you have any problems, please feel free to contact us via the ‘send a support request‘ option and we’ll be happy to help.Once you have your serial number, you can also download ArtRage directly from our website whenever you like via the Member Area.

If the registration email was in Chinese or another foreign language

When you register your tablet with Wacom, you should be sent an email containing the ArtRage serial number and download instructions. If you were sent an email that wasn’t in English, then you have probably bought a tablet intended for an overseas market, and this meant that Wacom automatically sent you a non-English email. You will need to contact Wacom support directly to get them to help with this.

However, you may be able find the ArtRage serial number in the email by scanning for a series of capitalised letters and numbers.

ArtRage 2 will be 20 digits in this format: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

ArtRage 3 and ArtRage Lite will be 25 digits in this format: XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX

Once you have it, you should be able to enter it into ArtRage with no further problems, and start using the program. If you still need to download ArtRage and can’t find a download link in the email, you can download the program from http://members.artrage.com

If you can’t find it, you should be able to view it in the downloads section of your Wacom account. If not, contact Wacom support.

Note: You may find that you have a Chinese edition of ArtRage as well, in which case, we can help with that. If you register it in our member area, and let us know, we can change your licence so that you can download an English version at http://members.artrage.com

If you purchased ArtRage online through our website then you should receive a purchase confirmation emailing containing a direct download link and a serial number for ArtRage from our store.

There are separate emails for Windows and Mac OS X and you should receive both. Unfortunately, due to the way the store works, the serial number will only be in the Windows email.

If you do not see your serial, check both emails.

If you did not receive a purchase email at all or deleted it

If you do not see an email from us at all, the first thing to do is check your spam folder. However, if it was blocked from ever reaching you, or if it has since been deleted, contact us directly via our Support form. We will be able to look your purchase details up if you provide the email that you purchased with (or your postal address).

You do not need the download link in the email to install ArtRage, as you can register the serial in our Members Area and download the latest version whenever you wish.

How to register Steam serial numbers

If you have a Steam bought copy of ArtRage, you will receive all updates through Steam. You will also be eligible for the 50% upgrade discount to the next edition, as long as you upgrade through Steam.

You can register your Steam serial number in the Member Area, but it will not allow you to download updates, or access the upgrade discount.

It is not possible to register a normal serial number with Steam.

You can find your serial number by right clicking ArtRage 4 in your Steam library and choosing ‘view CD key’. If you copy this to your clipboard then launch Artrage for the first time, the serial number boxes should be filled out automatically to save you having to enter it manually.

Where do I get my serial number for my Wacom tablet?

Wacom bundles ArtRage in two different ways: CD-ROM or software download.

If it was on a CD, then the serial number should be printed on the CD case.

If ArtRage was included as a software download, then there should be a Software Bundle Download Code printed somewhere on the packaging. If you bought an Intuos Draw, see ArtRage Lite – Wacom Users for help locating your SBD code. You would register this code at www.wacom.com, which will then unlock your software downloads and serial numbers.

An email should be automatically generated, containing your ArtRage serial number (it may also be called a registration code or license key), as well as access to your download of ArtRage. You should also be able to log back in at Wacom and view your serial number again.

Once you have your serial number, you can register it in the Member Area and download the latest version of ArtRage directly from us if you wish.

If you are having problems registering with Wacom, then you should contact Wacom support for assistance as we cannot help directly with their registration process.

Serial Number or Registration Key says it’s been disabled

If you are receiving a notification when you try to Register your product that your Registration Number or Serial Key has been disabled, here is some reason why and what you can do about it.

Why a Key/Serial could be Disabled:

In general, there are three reasons a key might have been disabled.

If a key is registered by multiple users it can be disabled.

If a key is part of a sale that has been refunded it can be disabled.

If a key has been found distributed on public sites it can be disabled.

Our system automatically disables keys in some of the above situations, and we manually disable keys that we have found being distributed in breach of the software license agreement.

If your Key/Serial has been Disabled:

If your key or serial has been disabled and you do not think it relates to one of the reasons above please contact us via the ArtRage Members Support for help. Please let us know the key/serial in question and the original email address that was used to purchase it if you purchased it from us.

Lost registration or unknown serial number?

If you do not know what your serial number (also known as a licence code or registration key) is, there are various ways to find it again.

If you have previously chosen to register your copy of ArtRage software under the Members Area, then your Profile will contain your serial number. Log in to the Member Area to view serial numbers for all your registered products.

If you have not registered, then we recommend doing so once you find your serial number using the various options listed below:

If ArtRage is installed and working:

ArtRage 4: Go to Help >ArtRage Serial Number

ArtRage Studio/Studio Pro: Go to Help > Change Serial Number

ArtRage 2.6: The serial number is located in the registry files. Contact us for OS specific instructions via our support page

If ArtRage is not installed or came with a third party tablet or device

The location of the serial number varies, depending on how you purchased ArtRage. Choose the option that applies to you below.

If you have purchased ArtRage directly from us online:

Feel free to send a support request via our support page if you purchased ArtRage from our website and can’t locate your key and we’ll be happy to check our purchase records for you, then help you to register it on our website.

If you have a Steam version of ArtRage

You do not need a serial number as your purchase is linked to your Steam account. You do have one, which you can register in the Members Area for safekeeping, but you cannot download it from the Members Area (updates are installed via Steam).

Wacom

If you purchased ArtRage with a Wacom tablet:

Wacom bundles ArtRage in two different ways: CD-ROM or software download.

If you received ArtRage on CD with a Wacom tablet, they don’t share individual user details with us, but they print the serial number on the back of the CD sleeve.

If ArtRage was included as a software download, then there should be a Software Bundle Download code/key printed somewhere on the packaging. You may also have been emailed an SBD key. If you bought an Intuos Draw, see this page for help locating your SBD key.

The code and distribution method varies by time, model and geographical location, and is controlled by Wacom, so we can’t guarantee this guide will always be accurate.

You would register this code at www.wacom.com, which will then unlock your software downloads and serial numbers.

An email should be automatically generated, containing your ArtRage serial number (it may also be called a registration code or license key), as well as access to your download of ArtRage. You should also be able to log back in at Wacom and view your serial number again.

My registration key / serial number is not accepted when I enter it

If you receive an error indicating that your ArtRage product key is not valid, please check the following…

Note: The serial number can also be known by some as the registration key, license code or product key, it means the same thing.

Unlocking ArtRage

Before you can use ArtRage for the first time you will need to unlock it using your Serial Number. Your Serial Number is a 25 digit number that you should have received when you purchased the product.

If you purchased ArtRage from us online your Serial Number will be in the email that contains your product download link. If you received ArtRage on CD you will need to check the CD cover or the contents of the box it came in.

When you start ArtRage for the first time you will be presented with the Unlock Panel. If you follow the instructions on this panel, enter your Serial Number then click OK the product should be unlocked. If you enter your Serial Number and it does not work please check the number you are entering carefully to make sure there are no mistakes. If you received the number in an email you can copy it from the email and paste it in to the panel using the button provided. If that still does not work please use the ArtRage Support Page to request support.

ArtRage Studio / Studio Pro

ArtRage Studio and Studio Pro serial numbers are 25 characters long, split in to groups of 5. If your serial number is not accepted when you enter it, please make sure you have copied it correctly. You can paste it in to the Unlock panel using the button provided.

ArtRage 2

Artrage keys are 20 digits long, so if you are entering a different number of digits, check that it is being read correctly. If you are copying and pasting the registration key, make sure that you are not copying any additional spaces or additional information, just the key itself.

Common Typo Mistakes

You might have mistyped your product key. Try retyping it carefully, making sure each character is correct.

Problems Registering in the Member Area

If you are having a problem registering when you attempt to enter your serial number, it is likely to be one of the following issues:

Nothing happens when I enter my serial number

Sometimes the page does not update immediately. If you enter your serial number, the box disappears, and you do not get an error message of any kind, then you have probably registered successfully.

To get the serial number to appear and access your downloads, try:

Refreshing the page

Logging out and back in again

Serial number already registered

Serial numbers can only be registered under one account. If you get an error message saying that the serial number has already been registered, then you may already have an account under a different email address.

If you cannot find your other account, or do not think you have one, then please contact us and we will look up the details for you.

The serial you entered is not valid

The usual reason is that you are entering a non-ArtRage serial number (e.g. a Wacom Software Download Code), or have a made a mistake in one or more of the digits.

If you never receive a confirmation email on sign up

You will not be able to log back into your member area account until you have confirmed that you own the email address that you used to register with. You can do this by clicking the link in the confirmation email that we send you.

Sometimes the confirmation email is blocked by a spam filter and automatically deleted. Hotmail accounts are the most likely to have a problem.

The other usual reason is that there is a mistake in the email address that you entered and the email is being sent to the wrong address.

If you never receive the link to confirm your registration, contact us and we can approve your account for you.

My Password is incorrect for the Artrage Member Area

Ensure that your login email address is also correct and the one you originally signed up on. If you have changed to using a new email account, you will still need to login via the old one first, then update your email details inside.

From the Member’s Area, you can reset your password via the Lost Password. Here you will need to provide your email address, which you originally signed up with. Instructions on how to reset your password will be emailed to your registered email address within a few minutes. Check the Junk Folder of your email inbox, if you haven’t received it. You will need to follow the email’s reset link and change the password after verification.

If you have problems with the reset link, then the most likely reasons that the link does not work are:

It is not the most recent link (if you have tried more than once, make sure you have the most recent email)

The email or browser is cutting off the last part of the link. Try copying and pasting the entire thing into your address bar (make sure it ends in your email address).

If you still get the error message and can not complete the above steps, please contact us via the ArtRage Members Support, let us know the email address of the account you were using to log in.

How do I login to the Member Area?

To login to the Member Area, you will need to have registered. To register with the Member Area:

Go to the ArtRage Member Area or by clicking ‘Member Area’ from the ‘Community’ dropdown navigation bar on the ArtRage website.

Click the ‘Create Account’ button and follow the instructions.

When you have finished, the website will send you an email. Click the link in the email to confirm your registration.

You only need to do this once. Once you have registered, you can log in to the Member Area by entering your email address and the password you chose when you registered on the main page of the Member Area, and clicking the ‘Login’ button.

Please Note: Purchasing ArtRage does not automatically create a Member Area account for you. You will need to register manually if you wish to use the Member Area.

How can I use ArtRage 4 on Windows XP?

ArtRage 4.5 does not support Windows XP. We have shifted the older ArtRage 4.0 build to an optional WinXP branch that you can find by following the steps below. This will allow you to continue to work with the XP compatible version.

I can’t preview the thumbnails for my files with my Steam installation of ArtRage?

Because ArtRage uses a unique file format, normal operating systems cannot display the thumbnail image when browsing the files in folders. Normally, there is a special thumbnail viewing program installed as part of ArtRage, but it isn’t possible to include this with Steam installations for Windows operating systems.

Instead, you can download the free demo and take advantage of the thumbnail viewer that is installed along with it.

Problems launching ArtRage through Steam

If you are having problems running the Steam version of ArtRage, then there are a couple of common issues that are likely to be to blame.

1. Verify the local file cache:

Locate ArtRage in the Library (under ‘All Software’, ‘All Games’ is selected by default and it’s not listed there). Right click it and select Properties, then select the Local Files tab. On the Local Files page, click ‘Verify Integrity of Application Cache’.

That should check to make sure that the files are all valid.

2. Try turning off the Steam Community options for the app:

Sometimes launching from Steam (which creates a virtual shared disk for their SteamCloud system) has been known to cause crashes in a variety of apps.

To turn this off for ArtRage…

Locate ArtRage in the Library as above, right click it and select Properties. On the General page, turn off ‘Enable Steam Community In-Game’. This tells Steam not to try launching special services when the app is launched.

How to register Steam serial numbers

If you have a Steam bought copy of ArtRage, you will receive all updates through Steam. You will also be eligible for the 50% upgrade discount to the next edition, as long as you upgrade through Steam.

You can register your Steam serial number in the Member Area, but it will not allow you to download updates, or access the upgrade discount.

It is not possible to register a normal serial number with Steam.

You can find your serial number by right clicking ArtRage 4 in your Steam library and choosing ‘view CD key’. If you copy this to your clipboard then launch Artrage for the first time, the serial number boxes should be filled out automatically to save you having to enter it manually.

Which export file formats support transparency in ArtRage?

ArtRage fully supports transparency in its native PTG format, but if you want to export a transparent image, you need to use PNG, PSD or TIFF file formats. ArtRage does not support transparency when exporting to JPG, GIF and BMP.

Notes:

Make sure that the layer or canvas you are currently exporting is already transparent in ArtRage.

TIFF transparency is only supported when exporting individual layers from the layers menu. It is not supported when exporting the entire canvas.

We recommend using PNG or PSD, as they will retain the most information and print at the highest quality.

Which export file types support layers?

While ArtRage’s PTG format fully supports layers, the only file type that will also support layers when exported is PSD (Photoshop). All other file types will flatten the painting down to a single layer when exported.

What version of ArtRage am I using?

To check what version of ArtRage you have, go to the Help panel and choose the ‘About ArtRage’ option (shortcut CTRL+1). A pop up panel about ArtRage will appear. It will have the version number somewhere on the panel.

ArtRage 4 – Bottom right in small letters

ArtRage Studio / Studio Pro – Top right

ArtRage 2 – Second box from the bottom

All Versions Purchased on Steam

If you’ve purchased ArtRage Studio Pro or Artrage 4 via the Steam store, when you launch the Steam client it should automatically download the latest update.

iPhone / iPad

ArtRage on the iPhone or iPad can be updated in the same manner as any application purchased from Apple’s App Store. Launch the App Store and use the update feature to download the latest version of ArtRage.

I can’t preview the thumbnails for my files with my Steam installation of ArtRage?

Because ArtRage uses a unique file format, normal operating systems cannot display the thumbnail image when browsing the files in folders. Normally, there is a special thumbnail viewing program installed as part of ArtRage, but it isn’t possible to include this with Steam installations for Windows operating systems.

Instead, you can download the free demo and take advantage of the thumbnail viewer that is installed along with it.

ArtRage 4.5 offers an online printing service, which allows you to upload images directly from ArtRage and order your own original canvases, prints and cards online. If you would like to design your painting specifically for one of these products, then we recommend that you use the following image sizes.

IMAGE SIZE KEY

1. Optimum:

The recommended image size for perfect printing.

2. Minimum recommended

The lowest recommended file size.

3. Minimum allowed:

The lowest size that the website will accept and may not print at perfectly quality. It is there to give you a choice, in case you cannot upload a larger file.

Note:Any image area left blank (ie. top and bottom if an image is set to ‘fill’) will reproduce as unprinted material. This is not recommended on gallery frames or canvas prints as it will create an undesirable finish within the frame mat and canvas edge.

How To Order Prints Online Through ArtRage

A guide to uploading your images for printing

Order Prints Online in ArtRage 4.5.3 or later to start uploading your image” width=”583″ height=”446″ class=”size-full wp-image-6423″ /> Go to File > Order Prints Online in ArtRage 4.5.3 or later to start uploading your image

Note: If this is the first time you have done this, ArtRage will prompt you to let you know that your image will be uploaded and give you the opportunity to visit this page. If you click OK, and all other times you launch this after the first time, ArtRage starts to upload your image to the MILK & Print server for printing.

Once the upload has finished, your web browser should open with the Milk & Print page visible. You can now select products, and make sure your image is placed correctly on them.

Main page of the store: Select a category to choose and edit a product and see a preview of your artwork.

Notes:

If the web page does not automatically appear you can copy the web address from the ArtRage online print panel and paste it in to a web browser. This link will only work once and your past orders will not be stored online or linked to your computer or copy of ArtRage.

The store offers a range of products, including cards and canvas prints, but will only display the ones that your image is the correct size and dimensions for.

The product categories use a default image. Choose specific products to see your image displayed.

You can close the print panel in ArtRage once the image has uploaded. As long as the online print store remains open in your browser, you can look at each product and edit your prints and cards.

Select and order your chosen product(s).

Important Information

This feature is available as an update to existing versions of ArtRage 4.5. If the ‘Order Prints Online’ is not an option in your File menu, you need to update ArtRage. You can do this by downloading the latest version from the Member Area.

For privacy and technical reasons, images and past orders are not stored online. You will need to upload an image every time that you wish to order a new product, and the store link will only work once.

If you are uploading a very large image, we recommend that you reduce the file size by flattening all the layers before starting the upload process.

All pricing and product information is handled on the print site. The online store will only show you products that your image is large enough for. If you cannot see the sizes and product types that you want, you may need to create a larger painting.

How to switch between the three different cursors

All desktop versions of ArtRage will allow you to choose between three cursors as you draw. You can switch between the precise (crosshairs), outline and tool views by pressing 1, 2 and 3.

You can also change them by going to Edit > ArtRage Preferences > Cursors.

Precise: The Precise cursor is a small crosshairs that shows you the exact point you are touching the canvas. You can adjust the opacity of this cursor down to the point of invisibility in the ArtRage Preferences menu. This cursor will also appear for tools at very small sizes when using the Outline cursor and for all the digital editing tools with no outline, such as ‘Select’.

Outline: The Outline cursor is an oval, circle or square outline that indicates the brush shape, direction and size. This is not the same as the brushstroke size, because many of the tools will spread out, bleed, blur, and generally change appearance depending on the canvas texture, pressure and other media. This is designed to mimic real tools. Just as with a real set of paint brushes, each tool has a specific size but can be used to paint a variety of strokes.

At very small sizes, or zoomed out views, the Outline cursor switches to the Precise cursor, so that you can still see what you are doing. The Pencil tool will always use the Precise cursor because it is so small.

Tool: The Tool cursor lets you track which tool you are currently using and is very easy to track on the screen. It is an image of the selected tool at a fixed angle and size. The view will switch the to the Outline cursor when you are changing the size so that you can see what you are doing.

Stroke Gap

Different cursors will affect the apparent ‘lag’ from strokes. This is actually the ‘stroke gap’ and part of ArtRage’s live painting calculations. Small or non-existent cursors (e.g. as in the ArtRage Mobile apps) will display a very obvious Stroke Gap.

How can I use my own custom fonts in ArtRage?

ArtRage uses the fonts that are available in your computer’s fonts folder. You can add fonts yourself by installing them to the computer as normal. You cannot add new fonts to the mobile versions, only to the desktop versions.

ArtRage only supports .ttf (TrueType Font), and does not support .otf (OpenType Font). It may not be able to display fonts with unusual kerning information.

Windows: Install new fonts by double clicking on downloaded files and choosing “Install”, or via Open Control Panel > Appearance and Personalization > Fonts

What image formats does ArtRage use?

ArtRage uses the custom file type “PTG”, and all paintings will be saved in this format. It’s always a good idea to keep a copy of your work in Artrage painting format (PTG), as this format supports layers, paint thickness, paint wetness and so on. However you can also import and export your work as other standard image types.

To save a painting in a non-PTG format, go to File > Export as Image (ArtRage 2) or File > Export Image File (ArtRage 3 & later), then select the format you wish to use.

To load a non-PTG file as a new painting or as a new layer in an existing painting, go to File > Import Image File or Import Image File to Layer.

Supported File Types

ArtRage supports JPG, BMP, PNG, GIF, PSD and TIF formats. PSD files can be loaded using “File > Open…” as well as “File > Import…” and ArtRage fully supports PSD layers. Importing a PTG image will instead import the fullsize PNG image that is uses for file previews. This can be used to recover images from corrupted ArtRage paintings.

Can’t install on Windows XP and getting “Disk1.cab has an invalid digital signature”

If you are getting the following error:

A file that is required cannot be installed because the cabinet file C:\Documents and Settings\…\Application Data\Ambient Design\ArtRage Studio Pro\install\disk1.cab has an invalid digital signature. This may indicate that the cabinet file is corrupt.

This is usually a Windows XP issue and has been occurring with increasing frequency since Microsoft stopped supporting this operating system.

It is due to either the relevant digital certificates not being installed on your computer or a deeper problem on your system. Unfortunately the certificate and verification system are entirely handled by Microsoft, so we cannot help you fix this problem directly.

How to install ArtRage when you get this error

Option 1: Copy the ArtRage files from another computer

The easiest way around it is generally to download ArtRage on a different computer, then save the file to a USB drive and use that to copy it to the computer that you want to install ArtRage to.

You can either install directly to a USB (choosing a location is an option during the install process) or install normally and then find the files by going to:

Copy the entire folder and transfer it to the computer that you want ArtRage on.

Option 2: Turn off digital signature checking

The core of the problem is that your Windows installation is unable to contact the certificate provider that can verify the installer’s security certificate. This can happen for a number of reasons and it can be really hard to track down the cause. There are two things that you can try easily that may help:

If your Windows XP machine is unable to connect to the internet, Windows cannot verify the validity of the digital signature in the file. Make sure your machine can connect.

Windows requires that secure installers be verified before installation, which in turn requires that the OS is able to talk to the certificate provider to double check the certificate in the installer file. If your XP machine is unable to connect to the internet, or unable to contact the certificate provider, Windows will generate the error you see.

You can tell Windows not to check the digital signature of the file by turning on ‘Allow software to run or install even if the signature is invalid’ in the Internet Options section of your Control Panel or from Internet Explorer.

Locate the Internet Options panel which is either in your Control Panel or accessible from Internet Explorer.

Select the Advanced tab and scroll down the list of advanced options until you find the Security section.

Look for an item called (or similar to) ‘Allow software to run or install even if the signature is invalid’. Turn that ON.

Okay the panel.

What this does is tell Windows that the certificate of an application doesn’t need to be checked before installation. This can fix the problem you see, but in some cases Windows ignores that option and checks anyway.

Important: Turning off that option reduces your computer security – If it works for installing ArtRage you may want to turn it back on afterwards.

Option 3: Turn off digital signature checking

It is also possible to manually install a verification certificate to allow Windows to verify the file offline, but this is quite complex. You would have to download or copy the certificate from elsewhere to do this.

This option is a lot more complicated and varies with each individual computer, so if you require assistance, please contact us directly through our Tech Support form.

Problems launching ArtRage through Steam

If you are having problems running the Steam version of ArtRage, then there are a couple of common issues that are likely to be to blame.

1. Verify the local file cache:

Locate ArtRage in the Library (under ‘All Software’, ‘All Games’ is selected by default and it’s not listed there). Right click it and select Properties, then select the Local Files tab. On the Local Files page, click ‘Verify Integrity of Application Cache’.

That should check to make sure that the files are all valid.

2. Try turning off the Steam Community options for the app:

Sometimes launching from Steam (which creates a virtual shared disk for their SteamCloud system) has been known to cause crashes in a variety of apps.

To turn this off for ArtRage…

Locate ArtRage in the Library as above, right click it and select Properties. On the General page, turn off ‘Enable Steam Community In-Game’. This tells Steam not to try launching special services when the app is launched.

Serial number asked for every launch

Some Windows users have reported that every time they start ArtRage they are prompted to enter their Serial Number. This problem indicates that the application is not being given permission by the operating system to store the serial number in the Registry after it is entered.

To solve the problem, you need to launch ArtRage ‘as Administrator’ once and enter the Serial Number, this allows the application to store the number and it won’t ask for it again when you launch it normally.

Right click the .exe file and choose to Open as Administrator (the exact wording varies depending on your version of Windows).

ArtRage will now launch and ask for your Serial Number. Enter it and click OK.

Quit ArtRage and launch it normally. It should start without asking for your serial.

Windows 8

Note that the “Before Windows 8” instructions may work on Windows 8 if you are using Desktop Mode to right click on the ArtRage executable. If you are using the ‘Metro’ screen however, you will need to follow these instructions:

Open the Start screen (press the Windows button on the device, or your keyboard).

Start typing ‘ArtRage’ on the start screen to search for it.

When it appears, right click on the application and look for the ‘Advanced’ option.

Click on Advanced then select the Run as Administrator option.

If you still have problems: Please contact us via the Support Page for assistance. When you contact us, let us know that you tried these steps, and which version of Windows you are using.

%%String Table Error

Some users have reported an error when launching ArtRage on a non administrator or other secondary account on OS X. When the app is launched, an error appears indicating that an object could not be created and the detail text is ‘%%String Table Error’. The app then needs to be force quit.

This problem indicates that the application is being denied permission to access the files stored inside its contents, this appears to relate to file ownership and if you follow these steps it should be resolved:

Make sure that you are logged in to the primary account on the computer (the one ArtRage works for) and that the other account is not logged in as well.

Locate the ArtRage app in the Applications folder (or wherever you installed it). Please make sure you have located the actual application, not a shortcut or item on the dock.

Right click the ArtRage app and select Show Package Contents from the menu that appears (if right click is not available, hold down the Control button on your keyboard and single click normally on the application). That opens a folder that contains a ‘Contents’ folder. This is inside the ArtRage app bundle.

Open the Contents folder and you should see a Resources folder. Single click that and Get Info for it by selecting Get Info from the File Menu in the finder, or pressing Cmd + I on your keyboard.

Locate the ‘Sharing and Permissions’ section of the info panel (it may be closed, click the arrow next to it to open it up).

Make sure that the ‘Everyone’ permission is set to Read Only or Read and Write. If it says ‘No Access’ change that to Read Only.

Click the lock icon beneath the permissions list and enter your admin password to allow changes to be made.

Now click the cog icon just beneath the list of permissions and select ‘Apply to enclosed items’ then click OK.

What we are doing here is changing the permissions of all of the files inside the Resources folder to make sure that they are available for reading by all accounts on your system. You should now try running ArtRage on the secondary account.

If you still have problems: Please contact us via the Support Page for assistance. When you contact us, let us know that you tried these steps, and which version of OS X you are using.

When I start ArtRage 2 Wacom Edition I get: ‘This application will only run on a Wacom tablet’

The way that Wacom tablets are identified changed in recent operating systems, so you may see this error when starting ArtRage.Downloading and installing the latest tablet software from Wacom’s website should correct this, but as we removed the tablet check in Artrage 2.5.20 it is also worthwhile downloading the latest version of ArtRage from our Members Area.

When you’ve downloaded the file, run it and it will create two folders, ‘asms’ and ‘idw’. The folder you want is: asms/10/msft/windows/gdiplus

From that gdiplus folder, copy ‘gdiplus.dll’ in to your ArtRage program folder (usually in C:Program FilesAmbient DesignArtRage 2, or C:Program FilesAmbient DesignArtRage Studio Pro etc.). Just make sure that the gdiplus.dll file is in the same location as your ArtRage.exe file (or ArtRage Studio Pro.exe file if you’re using Studio Pro etc.).

If you’re seeing strange crashes in Windows 10 when you zoom, rotate, or interact with menus (or other random movements of your stylus or touch gestures) then the culprit is probably Press & Hold for Right Click. This is a tablet and touch input setting that can conflict with tablet drivers and software in strange ways.

If you can interact with the menus and buttons, but can’t make any marks on the paper, or can draw fine but can’t use the menus properly, then the problem is usually the tablet driver settings.

If you are using ArtRage for iPad or ArtRage for Android, make sure that you haven’t set it to ignore touch input from your finger or use a different stylus.

If you are using Windows, then the issue is usually tablet drivers. Go to Edit > ArtRage Preferences > Input Devices.

If both Realtime Stylus and Wintab are ticked, this is almost always the problem (ArtRage tries to autodetect the one you need to use, but if the tablet driver or operating system sends the wrong signal, ArtRage can’t use it and appears to not be responding). If only one is ticked, you might need to change to the other one.

If you are using a separate graphics tablet to draw on (or a mouse!), turn off Realtime Stylus and restart ArtRage.

If you are using a touchscreen device (e.g. a Cintiq or Surface Pro), turn off Wintab and restart ArtRage.

If you are seeing severe lag (strokes take a very long time to appear after you make them) while trying to draw on the canvas in Mac OS 10.11 using ArtRage Lite or ArtRage 4, you probably need to update your software to version 4.5.9 (or later). Earlier versions are not compatible with El Capitan.

If you aren’t sure whether this is the issue, go to Help > About ArtRage and check the version number. If it is earlier then 4.5.9, download the updated version from the member area. If it is 4.5.9 or later, then please contact us as you have a different problem.

If you are experiencing regular crashes in Windows 10, this is probably due to a known compatibility issue with the multithreading feature. Windows 10 changed this system entirely, so it will no longer work properly in certain versions of ArtRage.

Multithreading allows ArtRage to handle multiple processes at once, so turning it off may cause some slowdowns at larger sizes, but it shouldn’t make too much difference. This feature doesn’t exist in ArtRage 2.

To prevent the crashes in ArtRage 3 Studio or Studio Pro:

Disable multithreading in Edit > ArtRage Preferences

To prevent the crashes in ArtRage 4:

Update to the latest version of ArtRage 4, which is fully compatible with Windows 10.

ArtRage supports the two common driver standards for Windows, WinTab and RealTime Stylus. This are the programs that ensure the tablet or touchscreen works properly with ArtRage, allowing you to draw with it.

ArtRage also supports the ‘Precise Tablet’ setting: a high resolution input mode that creates more precise strokes.

Normally, Wintab is supported by desktop-based graphics tablets like the Intuos range, and RealTime Stylus is supported by touchscreen devices. However, it is possible for a specific device to be using the other kind of driver, or to be sending bad data that tells ArtRage it supports Precise Tablet mode, or the opposite tablet driver.

If you are seeing issues with the tablet drivers (e.g. pressure issues, freezes, trouble drawing properly, lag, crashes), the first step is to change the input settings in ArtRage. Sometimes ArtRage is getting conflicting information and only a certain combination of options will work.

Open ArtRage and go to Edit > ArtRage Preferences > Input Settings.

Make sure that Wintab is ON and Precise Tablet and RealTime Stylus are turned OFF.

Restart ArtRage and test.

If that doesn’t help, turn Wintab OFF and RealTime Stylus ON

Restart ArtRage and test

We also recommend disabling the Windows Ink setting if you are seeing problems, as it can interfere with other programs.

Go to Start > Wacom Tablet > Wacom Tablet Properties > Mapping tab

Uncheck “Use Windows Ink” in the bottom left corner

If you are still seeing problems after this, you should:

Check that your tablet drivers are up to date

See if the same problems appear when only using a mouse or in Safe Mode or with your tablet driver disabled (if they do, it probably isn’t the tablet driver)

How can I rescue a PTG painting that won’t open in ArtRage?

If you receive an error message and are unable to open a PTG file, then it probably means that your ArtRage painting was were corrupted at some point. Damaged PTG files usually result from interrupted saves (for example, if the computer shuts down or ArtRage crashes). We will do our best to help troubleshoot the source of ArtRage errors, but usually cannot fix corrupted or partial files.

However, if you can see the image thumbnail then that means that the PNG preview image is intact. If you use File > Import Image File to open the damaged files, then it will import the PNG thumbnail.

This PNG file is the full size of your painting and high quality. It won’t rescue your layers or other paint information, but it will give you something to work with.

Backup Save Files

If crashes happen frequently for any reason, or you are working on an important painting, we recommend turning on the Store Backup Files option. You can find it by going to Edit > ArtRage Preferences > Advanced > Store Backup Files.

Adjust the slider to the number of backups you would like to keep.

Important: This function does not save a duplicate file. Instead, it keeps a history of previous saved versions.

Every time you save, it will delete the oldest backup file, and save the latest changes as a separate file, so if you have made important changes, save twice to update the older back up and the file you are actually working on.

Mac OS X – Crash Issue

We have seen a few instances of a crash when attempting to save a file for the first time on OS X when the save file dialog tries to open, and may occur in other situations where a file dialog is trying to open.

Cause:

In many cases this crash appears to be caused by a bad file in the system. This file is called ‘SCFinderPlugin’ and is located in the Library folder. The crash is actually happening outside ArtRage in an OS system so we don’t know exactly why that file is causing it but it has been known to cause crashes in multiple different applications.

Checking the Crash Log to confirm the problem:

Note: This is optional, you can skip straight to the solution if you like.

You can do a quick check yourself in the crash log to see if this specific crash is the problem you are experiencing. To do this:

When the application crashes, select the Report button. A window with a crash log appears.

Near the top of the crash log text, look for a line that starts with: ‘Crashed Thread:’.

This line tells you which system thread crashed (a number) but also indicates the function the crash occurred in. You can ignore the number.

If the line contains this text, the crash is probably the one described in this FAQ answer: Dispatch queue: TFSVolumeInfo::GetSyncGCDQueue

Solution:

Removing the file should resolve the crash. You need to locate it and move it out of the library. It may be installed in more than one library location so follow the steps below to locate and remove it.

In the Finder, open the Go menu. If you see a ‘Library’ entry, click it. If you don’t see a Library entry, hold down Option on your keyboard and it should appear, then click it.

In the Library folder, open the ‘Contextual Menu Items’ folder.

If you see it, drag the SCFinderPlugin.plugin file out of that folder to your desktop.

Now open the Macintosh HD, the place you see your Applications folder. There should be a ‘Library’ folder in there too. Open that.

Repeat step 2 and 3 (you may want to put folders on the desktop to contain the duplicate files).

Reboot and try the operation that crashed again.

You should be able to delete the files at this point. As noted above, the file and the crash it causes aren’t part of ArtRage so we don’t know exactly why this is happening, but you may find other applications also becoming more stable after its removal.

If you still have problems: Please send an email to support@artrage.com letting us know, and include a copy of the Crash Log generated when the application crashed. To include that, click the Report button when the crash occurs, copy the crash log text from the crash log window and paste that text in to the email you send us. We will need the crash log before we can help resolve the problem.

Changes to the way multi-monitor support is handled in OS X 10.9 Mavericks mean that there is one issue that cannot be resolved internal to ArtRage at this point in time. Changes in 3.5.11 mean that there is one additional issue to consider outside those reported for 3.5.10.

In situations where you have more than one monitor on your computer, and the external monitor is set to be laid out to the right of the main monitor, and ArtRage is launched on the main monitor, panels that appear at the right hand side of the ArtRage window such as Layers and Swatches may not appear when opened.

We have been researching this and at this point it appears to be an OS level problem. There are three workarounds:

Move the second monitor to the Left of the main monitor in your Monitor Layout (we understand that this is inconvenient if the physical monitor is to the right).

Move the main ArtRage window to the Second monitor. Note that this may still result in the panels being invisible sometimes.

Turn off ‘Displays have separate Spaces’ (see below).

10.9 introduces the concept that each Display has its own set of Spaces. This appears to be causing the problem with panels not being visible when opened. To turn this feature off, open up the Settings app from the Dock and in the Mission Control section turn off ‘Displays have separate Spaces’. This causes the different monitors to share the same space and allows panels to open correctly.

In addition, users with multiple monitors may find that panels disappear when dragged off the monitor ArtRage is on if:

The monitor ArtRage is on is not the main monitor.

The monitor is laid out to the right of the main monitor.

‘Displays have separate Spaces’ is turned on.

Panels should appear again after restarting but may vanish if moved again. To resolve this, please turn off Displays have Separate Spaces in the Mission Control section of the Settings panel (see above).

Please note: ArtRage 4 does not require this setting to be turned off and should work correctly in multi-monitor setups.

I’m getting strange behavior / no pressure support when using my graphics tablet with ArtRage

If you’re using ArtRage on Windows and see strange behaviour when using a graphics tablet, try the following: Check that you have the latest version of ArtRage ( Help -> Check for updates online ). If not, download the latest version of ArtRage from our Member Area. Download and install the latest version of tablet software from your tablet manufacturer’s website. If you still have problems, please contact us via the support page so that we can help.

If you are using ArtRage Studio or Studio Pro on Mavericks or Yosemite and you are seeing the cursor vanishing when you move it over the canvas, or strokes not appearing, or showing significant lag, then you need to download the latest version from our Member Area. This is quite common if you bought a slightly older version of ArtRage through a third party or have not updated recently.

The latest version of ArtRage 3 is 3.5.12. This version includes fixes specifically for Mavericks.

But it says I’m up-to-date?

The update check is also buggy in Mavericks. This was fixed in versions 3.5.10 – 3.5.12. Check your version number instead, by going to Help > About ArtRage.

So how do I get the update again?

You can download the latest version anytime you like, as long as you have registered the serial number in our member area.

If you have never registered your copy of ArtRage in the Member Area, it is quite straightforward.

Find your serial number (You should be able to find your serial in ArtRage by going to Help > Change serial number )

When attempting to start or update ArtRage 2 on OS X Leopard, I am getting a crash

If you have an older version of ArtRage 2, you may experience a crash on startup or when updating. To correct this, download the latest version of ArtRage from //members.artrage.com.The latest version of ArtRage 2 is installed to your Applications folder as ‘ArtRage 2.6’ by default.

Or rather, that product name doesn’t exist. When we first released ArtRage 3, it was split into casual and professional editions. We had to differentiate them, so we gave them slightly different names: Studio and Studio Pro.

However, we decided this was too confusing for users, so we merged the two editions when we brought out ArtRage 4, and dropped the “Studio” part entirely.

So the latest edition is only called ArtRage 4.

If you see someone selling ArtRage Studio Pro 4, then they are probably not selling ArtRage 4. They are usually selling an older version of ArtRage 3 and are almost definitely not a legitimate seller.

Copy over ArtRage 3 Custom Resources

ArtRage 4 places custom resources in a different location to previous versions of ArtRage. This means that when you first start it, any custom resources you have created such as Presets, Stencils, Stickers etc. will not be available in the new product.

There is a shortcut built in to ArtRage 4 to help migrate resources over to the new product. Because these custom content items are all files on disk, they are easy to copy over. Here’s how you do it…

Copying Custom Resources From ArtRage 3:

Open up ArtRage 4.

In the Tools Menu locate the ‘User Content’ menu.

At the top of the User Content menu is ‘Open User Content Folder…’ Select that menu item. This opens up the User Content folder for ArtRage 4. This folder is called ‘Custom Content’.

Leave that folder open and return to ArtRage.

Return to the Tools menu and locate the User Content menu again. This time, hold down the Shift key on your keyboard and select ‘Open User Content Folder…’ This opens up the User Content folder on your computer from ArtRage Studio or ArtRage Studio Pro. This folder is called ‘Resources’.

Copy all of the folders from the old ArtRage Studio / ArtRage Studio Pro ‘Resources’ folder to the new ‘Custom Content’ folder.

Restart ArtRage 4.

If nothing happens when you do step 5, the folder didn’t exist so you have no user content to copy over.

You have now copied all of the custom content you installed or created in ArtRage 3 to your ArtRage 4 installation.

ArtRage Mobile Apps

Can’t install or run ArtRage Touch from the Windows App Store

If you are having problems installing or accessing ArtRage Touch, this is usually due to a licence or connection problem between your computer and the Windows App Store. Unfortunately, we can’t help directly with most of these issues, but there are a few steps that we can suggest to fix this.

Check Connection

Check that your device is connected to the internet properly.

If you are connecting through a proxy or have an antivirus program active, it may interfere with the connection. Try disabling it and attempting to install or run ArtRage Touch again.

Clear the Windows Store Cache

Swipe in from the right edge of the screen, and then tap Search. (If you’re using a mouse, point to the lower-right corner of the screen, move the mouse pointer up, and then click Search.)

Enter run in the search box, and then tap or click Run.

Enter wsreset.exe in the Run command and then tap or click OK.

Sync app licenses

If a license for an app is out of sync with the license installed on your PC, the app might not work. To sync your app licenses, follow these steps:

On the Start screen, tap or click Store to open the Windows Store.

Swipe in from the right edge of the screen, and then tap Settings. (If you’re using a mouse, point to the lower-right corner of the screen, move the mouse pointer up, and then click Search.)

Unable to Validate License after downloading from the Google Play Store

If you can’t run ArtRage for Android after purchasing from the Google Play Store, are asked to validate it everytime you open the app, or can only run it when connected to the internet, this is usually because ArtRage or the Play Store app is not properly storing or sending the purchase data. This is usually fairly easy to fix following the steps below. Note: Several things can cause this bug to occur or prevent your changes from fixing the problem, so you may have to try a few different things.

Before trying anything else, try just uninstalling the app and reinstalling it again from the Play Store. If this fails, move onto the troubleshooting steps below.

The steps we have found work most reliably are:

Close ArtRage completely in your active processes

Clear the ArtRage app data

Clear the Play Store cache

Open ArtRage and turn on Wifi to get licence data

Close ArtRage completely in active processes and turn off Wifi

Restart the device

We have found that clearing your ArtRage app data will usually allow you to use the app properly but may still give you the licence validation error on start up. Tap ‘retry’ and it should vanish and allow you to use ArtRage. If this happens, then it usually means that you missed one of the steps above, or something else is going on.

Further Troubleshooting

Find out how to do the individual steps, and other things you can try:

1. Check the Play Store Account

Are you logged in under the same account that you purchased the app under?

To check:

Open the Google Play Store app

Touch the Menu icon to see which account you’re currently using.

To change accounts, touch the dropdown arrow Selector and select a different account.

2. Check Wifi Connection

The Play Store needs an active internet connection to verify your purchase for the first time and every time that the error shows up. Once you have validated your licence, it may work until you restart your device.

To check if the licence validation error is completely fixed, you will need to turn off wifi and restart your device.

3. Clear ArtRage app data

While the problem usually lies in the Play Store app, there is a chance that the ArtRage app data is corrupted and not storing your purchase data properly. We are investigating this issue.

Deleting the app data is basically the same process as for the Play Store app, but note that you’ll lose any current unsaved work.

Can I get a refund? I don’t want the app anymore.

The Google Play Store allows you to refund your purchase automatically within the first fifteen minutes, and we can refund purchases if you have a problem with your product (although not if you just got bored with the app), but we are unable to directly refund purchases made through GALAXY Apps or iTunes. You will need to contact the individual store support directly.

If you are having a specific issue with your app, please contact us and we will try and help.

I purchased ArtRage for Android from one app store. Can I transfer it to the other?

Unfortunately, the Google Play Store and GALAXY Apps are completely separate, and we have no way to transfer sales information.

Can I run my purchase on devices that don’t support the app store I bought it from?

There are three different ways to import a photograph as paint to work on directly in the iPad app.

1. Start a new painting from an imported photo.

To do this, go to the Gallery view, click the ‘+’ symbol in the top right, and choose ‘Import Image’. This will automatically create a new image as close to the size of the imported image that ArtRage supports (the max size is 2048×2048).

2. Import a photo into a layer in your current painting.

Open the Layers menu, and tap the cog symbol right at the top (the one for ALL layers). Choose ‘Import Layer’.

3. Copy/paste from the iOS clipboard.

If you have copy an image to the iOS clipboard elsewhere (e.g. if you tap the ‘upload’ arrow on a photo in the gallery, one of the options is ‘Copy’), you can then Paste it as a new layer in ArtRage. This is in the same place as ‘Import Layer’ – open Layers > tap the cog symbol at the top > choose ‘Paste from iOS Clipboard’.

The canvas size in the ArtRage mobile editions is capped for memory reasons. These apps run on a wide range of devices, and many have very limited memory and processing power available. Canvas size is on of the most memory intensive features, so the app implements a maximum size.

Why don’t the mobile apps support canvas rotation?

The ArtRage Mobile apps (iOS, Android and Windows Touch) don’t support canvas rotation (the ability to just turn the canvas around using fingers), but we added it as an option to the iPad app in 2015.

This is because canvas rotation is memory intensive feature which isn’t absolutely necessary, as it is possible to rotate the entire device. While we may consider adding this feature in the future, we will only add it if it does not compromise app performance. Currently, most devices will struggle with this feature.

How can I rotate the canvas?

ArtRage for Android The entire canvas and interface will rotate as you turn the device. To prevent this, you can turn on “Lock Interface Rotation” under Settings.

ArtRage for iPadUpdate 2.1 added canvas rotation to the iPad app, as most current iPads can now handle the performance requirements, and the iPad Pro is too large to physically turn easily.

Default Setting: The interface will rotate as you turn the device, but the canvas will not.

Canvas Rotation Active: You can turn ‘Canvas Rotation’ on by going into the menu > Preferences. This will allow you to turn the canvas using two finger gestures while you work.

15 Degree Increments: You can ‘lock’ the rotation angles to 15 degree increments in Preferences, or allow the canvas to turn freely.

ArtRage for iPhone Neither the interface nor the canvas will rotate when you turn the device.

ArtRage Touch (Windows 8) The interface will rotate as you turn the device, but the canvas will not. You can also use the Canvas Positioner to rotate the canvas. The Canvas Positioner is a floating ‘compass’ that allows you to turn, scale and move the canvas, similar to the desktop versions. Find it by going to Layers > menu button in the top right > Canvas Positioner.

How to Increase the Size of Your ArtRage for iPad & Android Paintings

Because ArtRage mobile editions have capped canvas sizes, you may want to create larger images to print from. The two ways to do this are to resize your finished images, or record a script and play it back in the desktop edition later. See How to Increase the Size of Your ArtRage Mobile Paintings for tips.

Setting up ArtRage to detect a Stylus

You need to tell ArtRage which stylus you want to use so that it can initialize the appropriate system when it starts. To do this:

Go to your iPad home screen and open the Settings app.

Scroll down the list on the left until you see ‘ArtRage’ and tap it in the list.

On the right you should now see product options including a ‘Bluetooth Stylus’ entry.

Tap the stylus type (the default is No Stylus) and a list of available styluses appears.

Note: Both the Bamboo fineline and the Intuos Creative 2 use the setting “Intuos Creative”

Tap the stylus you want to use.

The next time you open ArtRage it will look for the indicated stylus type.

Connecting your Stylus to the iPad:

These styluses connect to your iPad using Bluetooth. In order to use them you must make sure Bluetooth is turned on in the Settings app. Each stylus follows a slightly different approach to connecting. Instructions are provided with the stylus, please refer to those for basic setup information.

Troubleshooting

Wacom Intuos Creative Stylus 2 and Wacom Bamboo fineliner

If you cannot see the Bamboo fineline and the Intuos Creative 2 appearing under the Bluetooth Stylus settings, use the setting “Intuos Creative”. The Wacom styluses all connect under the same setting.

If you are having issues with the Wacom Intuos Creative Stylus 2 and Wacom Bamboo fineliner, please make sure you have updated to version 1.6.5 of the ArtRage for iPad app, as support for these styluses was added in this version. Earlier versions will not support these devices.

The normal process for connecting this stylus is to launch ArtRage and press the side switch on the stylus to wake it up. You can see if the connection process is working by looking at the Bluetooth symbol in the status bar of your iPad.

If the symbol is dark grey, no stylus has been detected.

If the symbol is white, a stylus has been detected and is connected ready to go.

If the symbol is flashing the stylus is currently being looked for. The rocker switch on the side of the stylus should also be flashing.

In some situations the stylus may fail to connect to the iPad. This isn’t something that happens inside ArtRage, it’s happening between the iPad’s Bluetooth system and the stylus itself. If the stylus fails to connect (if the Bluetooth symbol keeps flashing and never goes solid white) you may need to close parked apps and reboot the iPad to clear out the Bluetooth system.

If you do this, you should also turn off the stylus while the iPad is off. To do that, unscrew the cap at the top to break the battery connection. You can then screw the cap back in to turn the stylus back on.

Touch Pressure Range:

When ArtRage is set to use a Wacom Intuos Creative Stylus in the Settings app, finger strokes will work at around 20% of full pressure so will be smaller than normal. If you are not using the stylus you can turn off detection by returning to the Settings app.

Touch Rejection:

Clicking the top button on the side of the stylus will turn on Touch Rejection, which prevents any painting in the canvas without the stylus. Normal controls can still be tapped with a finger. A note will pop up letting you know that you have turned Touch Rejection on.

If you find you cannot paint with your finger, just click the top button on the side of the stylus again to turn Touch Rejection off.

TenOne Pogo Connect:

The normal process for connecting this stylus is to launch ArtRage and press the side switch on the stylus to wake it up. If the connection process works, the Bluetooth symbol on the iPad’s status bar should be lit up white.

In some situations the stylus may fail to connect to the iPad. This isn’t something that happens inside ArtRage, it’s happening between the iPad’s Bluetooth system and the stylus itself. If the stylus fails to connect (if the bluetooth symbol keeps flashing and never goes solid white) you may need to close parked apps and reboot the iPad to clear out the Bluetooth system. You can find instructions on how to do that in this forum thread: Clear iPad parked Apps

How to share paintings from the iPad

Can I transfer between the iPad and the desktop version of ArtRage?You certainly can transfer to and from the iPad. The iPad has a range of export options in three image formats (JPG, PNG, PTG).

Choose the Export menu (the small arrow in the centre of the bottom menu bar) while in the gallery view to access the options.

Send to the iPad ‘My Photos’ Folder (JPG)

Send to iTunes (JPG or PNG)

Email it from the iPad (JPG, PNG, PTG)

Upload it to the internet directly:

Submit it to DeviantART (JPG)

Share it on Facebook (JPG)

Export it to Dropbox (online storage) (PTG)

Print Painting (your iPad will need to be connected to a printer)

If you are trying to work on a painting across both the iPad and the desktop, you have two more options:

Record a Script on the iPad and play it back on the computer.

You will need to start the script recording when you are creating the painting (in the canvas settings). You can only play it back on the desktop, but you can replay it as often as you need to, and stop it at any point.

Exporting a script will appear as an option in the Export menu if a Script is available.

PTG is the ArtRage proprietary file type. This file will contain all the layers, depth and paint effects from your painting. You can import a different image file to work on, but it will not have layers or any of the special effects.

JPG is the smallest file type and the most suitable to share online. If you edit JPEGs, you will lose a small amount of quality.

PNG is the best file type if you wish to continue editing the painting in other programs.

If you can’t open your ArtRage Touch painting files, they are probably too large for the app. There is an issue with some devices with larger screen resolutions overriding the canvas size defaults – basically, they have created paintings too large for the app to re-open.

If you have a licence for a desktop version of ArtRage, then just install that on your Surface Pro (or other device), open them, and change them to be 2048×2048 pixels or less and it should solve it. The free demo will work as well, but it will save the files as much smaller paintings (maximum size is 1280×1024).

If you keep an eye on the canvas size when creating new paintings, you can manually change it down to 2048 pixels or less for width and height and avoid this problem.

If the black menu bar has disappeared, just tap with three fingers on the screen. The three finger tap shortcut is designed to hide or show the menu bar, so you can expand your painting area, but if you accidentally hide it, it can be a bit confusing the first time.

The tools are not responding in ArtRage for iPad or Android

Can’t draw? If nothing happens when you draw on the canvas, it may seem like ArtRage is frozen or not working properly. However, the usual reason ArtRage is not responding to your finger is because the app is set to use a stylus only.

The easiest way to check if this is the problem is to try interacting with a menu. ArtRage will let you use the menus, but will not let you paint with a finger.

In ArtRage for Android, you can disable or enable by going to Menu > Settings > Stylus Only Mode.

In ArtRage for iPad, you can disable an active stylus by going to Menu > Preferences > Stylus Preferences.

iOS Device Tips

ArtRage is a processor intensive app that does a lot of work behind the scenes to generate realistic paint effects. This means that it is sensitive to situations where your iPad is using processor time on other tasks. In addition, if the OS detects that memory is low when you are using an app it may shut that app down without warning.

If you are experiencing any speed issues or crashing when using ArtRage for iPad or iPhone, it may help to clear out any parked applications and reboot your device (all versions).

How To Close Parked Apps:

Applications that you have run previously will not be automatically closed when you quit them, instead they are ‘parked’ in the background. Rebooting your device does not close these apps for you. While most apps should sit in the background without using too many system resources, it can help to close them if you are experiencing speed or crashing issues.

Here’s how you do it:

iOS 7

1. Double tap the Home button on the iPad/iPhone. This brings up the list of parked applications which scrolls from right to left.

2. To close an application, tap and drag upwards on its screen preview to drag the screen off the top. When the screen vanishes off the top, the app has been closed.

3. Repeat this process to close all applications then tap the small ‘home screen’ preview to return to the home screen.

iOS 6 and earlier

1. Double tap the Home button on the iPad/iPhone. This brings up the Parked Apps bar with all of the currently ‘parked’ apps listed.

2. Press and hold down on one of the apps in the bar until ‘Close’ buttons appear on all of them.

3. Tap the close button of each app in the bar to close it. Close ArtRage as well if it’s open.

4. Press the Home button twice to return to the normal home screen.

Rebooting the iPad/iPhone

Press and hold down the Home and Power buttons.

Keep holding them until the device shuts down (ignore the Power Off slider and keep holding the buttons, the device will shut down a couple of seconds later). Note: Release the Home button as soon as the device powers down, as holding down the home button during reboot if you have a USB cable plugged in to your iPad causes it to go in to recovery mode.

Press and hold the Power button until the device starts to reboot.

This clears out the device memory and gives applications a more stable base to run from.

The Memory Warning icon has been included to help with users who have experienced crashes in the application. After testing and collaboration with beta users, it appears that most of the crashes that have been experienced since 1.0.3 are due to the iPad running out of memory and closing the application as a result.

The memory warning icon indicates that the OS has detected memory is low. That does not necessarily mean that the app is about to be shut down, rather it indicates that the OS is trying to clear up memory to let the app continue operating. If you see the memory warning appear on the toolbar, you can also quick save your painting if you are concerned about crashes.

Clear the memory warning icon and if it appears again shortly (especially directly after doing something that uses a lot of memory such as adding reference images or tracing images, or duplicating layers that have lots of paint in) we would suggest closing all parked applications and rebooting your iPad.

iPad App Problems

Almost all problems in the iPad app are caused by low memory. If you are seeing strange behaviour, crashes, error messages, problems exporting, problems drawing, and other difficulties on the iPad App, then you should first try closing all your parked apps.

Eye Symbol – Hidden Layer

If you are seeing strange eye or “sickle” symbol in the middle of your screen and are unable to paint, then you are trying to paint on a hidden layer.

You can “unhide” or delete this layer, or select a different layer by going to the Layers menu down the bottom. Look for the layer you are currently on (it will be highlighted in green) and tap the little oval symbol next to the canvas preview.

The eye symbol will appear when you try to draw on a hidden layer.Open the Layers menu down on the right to change this.

Open the Layers menu to view your existing layers.The eye symbol will show you whether a layer is hidden or not.Tap on it to unhide or hide a layer.

ArtRage for Android is a mobile version of our desktop edition. It runs on a wide range of Android devices, but was optimised for the GALAXY Note 4 and Note Edge, and is available as a free app from the GALAXY Gifts program on those devices. It is also available for sale in GALAXY Apps and the Google Play Store.

ArtRage for Android includes a full range of realistic painting tools, including oils, watercolours, glitter, and pencils. You can just pick them up and paint, or explore the deeper level of more advanced settings and presets. It is fun and easy to use for sketching and fully capable of creating finished artwork. All the familiar, convenient ArtRage features are there, with References, Tracing Images, easily navigated interface and colour samples. There’s even a touch rejection option, Stylus Only Mode,that allows you to interact with the menus, but preventing accidental strokes from your fingers on the canvas.

This first official edition of ArtRage has a slightly confusing history. It was released as multiple editions for different audiences, companies and platforms, but over time it has become a single program, as the ArtRage 2.6.0 supported all of them.

The original internal updater (Auto Update system) is no longer compatible with our website. Updates need to be downloaded from the Member Area. If you try and update from within ArtRage, you will see an error message.

The ArtRage Starter Edition (free demo) was originally named the Free Edition. The demo has been discontinued and has been replaced by the ArtRage 4 Demo version.

The ArtRage 2.5 UMPC Edition contained all the features of the ArtRage 2.5 Full Edition with a more compact interface designed to make best use of the screen space available on Ultramobile PCs.

Important

ArtRage 2.6 is now two editions behind, and no longer updated. It is may still come with the purchase of Wacom tablets or other third party hardware, but this is not something we control. We do not sell it directly. If you have problems using, we are happy to help you with them, but there are unlikely to be any more updates to 2.6.

If you own ArtRage 2.6, then you are eligible for a 50% discount when upgrading to our latest edition.For more information, see ArtRage Upgrades.

2010

ArtRage 2.6 [All editions]

Released 28th May, 2010

Features & Fixes

Multitouch Support Implemented: ArtRage 2.6 now supports the same Multitouch functionality as ArtRage Studio and Studio Pro. Multitouch gestures can be used for moving, scaling and rotating the canvas, references and stencils. This system supports Win7 Multitouch and Wacom touch systems.

2009

ArtRage 3 Released 14 December, 2009

2008

ArtRage 2.5.20 Starter Edition

Released 26th February, 2008

In response to a file format problem that was found in ArtRage 2.5.20 Starter Edition we have re-uploaded the file as of Feb 26th. The version now available is also 2.5.20 but should be downloaded and installed in place of the previous one to solve incompatibilities between its file format and other versions of ArtRage.

ArtRage 2.5.20 Full Edition

Released 22nd February, 2008

Bug Fixes

Fixed a general problem encountered on some Tablet PCs including Lenovo PCs whereby the Airbrush would not work when using the stylus.

Fixed some paint removal problems when merging groups that have blend modes.

Fixed a bug that could cause problems when importing some PSD files saved out from Alias Sketchbook Pro.

Fixed a bug that caused exporting a layer to PSD format to pick up bump from layers beneath the exported one.

Fixed a bug in Paint Roller loading when using it at large sizes with low pressure values.

2007

Fixed a problem that occurred in ArtRage on some machines where the base language of the OS was not English.

ArtRage 2.5 Wacom Edition

Released 19th November, 2007

This new update contains all of the features of the ArtRage 2.5 Full Edition for users of ArtRage 2 received with Wacom Volito and Bamboo tablets.

ArtRage 2.5.18 Starter Edition

Released 2nd November, 2007

The 2.5.18 update to the ArtRage 2.5 Starter Edition has been released. This new download fixes a problem running the Starter Edition on Mac OSX Leopard, and some other fixes on both OSX and Windows.

ArtRage 2.5 Plus (CD Edition) Released

Released 1st November, 2007

The team are proud to announce the release of ArtRage 2.5 Plus, the first version of ArtRage to ship on CD.

The ArtRage 2.5 Plus box contains a full colour, 80 page manual, and a hybrid CD for Windows and Mac OSX. The CD contains ArtRage 2.5.18 Full Edition (which will run on Mac OSX Leopard), Videos of paintings done with ArtRage, and other files.

ArtRage 2.5.18

Released 31st October, 2007

The 2.5.18 update contains fixes for problems in ArtRage under Mac OSX Leopard, and other bug fixes for both platforms.

ArtRage UMPC 2.5.17

Released 25th September, 2007

This update fixes a crash bug that could occur on some systems when selecting tools from the Toolbox Panel (Zoom, Move, Rotate).

ArtRage UMPC 2.5

Released 18th September, 2007

ArtRage UMPC Edition has now been updated to version 2.5.

ArtRage 2.5.16 Full Edition

Released 13th September, 2007

Changes and Fixes

ArtRage now informs you if you are attempting to paint on a layer that is currently hidden, and prevents the paint being applied to avoid confusion.

Fixed a crash that could occur when resizing large canvases.

Fixed a bug that could cause a blank layer to be created when merging a hidden group.

The brush preview in the Tool Picker now updates correctly when you toggle lighting on/off with F5.

Prevented the ruler’s angle from going negative.

Corrected the result of merging groups that existed within semi-opaque groups, the merged result is now at the correct opacity for the original group, not that of its semi-opaque parent.

Fixed a bug that was causing a print dialog to appear on Windows when pressing Alt and Shift in ArtRage.

ArtRage 2.5 Starter Edition

Released 24th August, 2007

Features

Stencils & Rulers: ArtRage 2.5 Starter Edition gives you a ruler to use in your paintings. Press ‘F’ to bring up the Stencil Picker, or click the Stencils button on the new Toolbox Panel to access the Ruler.

Resolution Support: In the New File or Resize panels you can now set the size of your image using pixels, inches, centimeters, or millimeters. You can also set the DPI resolution of your image.

Mousewheel Zoom: The Mouse wheel on a mouse, or the Zoom Strip on Wacom Intuos 3 tablets can now be used to zoom the canvas.

Recent Files List: You can access a list of recently used ArtRage files in the File Menu.

More Image Formats: ArtRage 2.5 supports more image formats for Import and Export.

Toolbox Panel: The bottom of the ArtRage window now has a Toolbox Panel, from which you can access your Ruler and Tracing Images.

Languages: ArtRage now supports English, French, and German from the same install. You can select your language from the Help menu.

OSX Application Bundle: ArtRage now contains all of its resources internally on OSX so you don’t need to store a folder alongside the application, you can just install ArtRage 2.5 directly to your Applications Folder.

OSX Window Resizing: The ArtRage window can now be manually resized on OSX using a resize handle at the bottom right.

Crash Recovery: On Windows, ArtRage attempts to save out your work to a temporary file (arrestart.ptg) if the application crashes. For more information, see the ArtRage Support Forum.

Canvas Zoom Shortcut: Holding down Shift + Space and click-dragging the canvas, or holding down Shift and right click-dragging the canvas zooms it.

User Content Support Shifted: User content such as Custom Pickers, Canvas Size Presets, Stencils, Canvas Presets etc. have been shifted to the user’s Application support folders. For more information, including information on how to move your ArtRage 2.2 content to ArtRage 2.5, see the ArtRage Support forums.

Improved Vista Support: ArtRage 2.5 is Windows Vista Certified and supports Tilt and Rotate when using Ink Services under Vista.

ArtRage 2.5.15

Released 8th August, 2007

Changes

Changed the system for loading Colour Swatches and Paper Grains on OSX: The file dialog that was used to load the files could not navigate in to the ArtRage application bundle. Because we installed all of the sample colour swatches and custom grains in to the application bundle, you couldn’t load them. So, the application now copies those files to the Application Support / Resources folder the first time it needs them and allows access as per OS expectations.

Changed the Windows installer so that in the ArtRage 2 folder in the Start Menu, the shortcuts to the manual files are inside a Manuals folder rather than all lumped in the main folder.

Bug Fixes

Fixed a bug that caused problems when using Undo after changing a paper grain. Paper grain issues could cause a crash, the grain changes are now correctly stored in the Undo system.

Fixed a bug that could cause a crash in Quicktime on OSX 10.4.10 on some machines when loading the internal metallic environment map.

Fixed a rendering problem with the ‘Replace’ Bump Blend Mode that could cause blocky artifacts around bump on low opacity layers.

Fixed a bug that would cause ArtRage to display ‘UNLICENSED’ in the about box for users who had installed previous versions.

Fixed a bug that would cause the menu bar and toolbox to open in an odd position when restarting ArtRage after hiding the panels.

Fixed an error that could occur on exporting a layer as a PSD file.

Pressing F6 to show/hide stencils now checks to see whether most are already shown/hidden and makes the majority confirm to the minority first.

Fixed a Windows installer bug that prevented French and German versions from displaying the License file when installing ArtRage.

Fixed a bug that could cause the paper grain to fail to update when reloading a Painting file on OSX, the grain in the file could be replaced by the default.

Fixed the German localisation, An and Aus from the tool control toggles were inverted.

Fixed a bug that could cause a crash while copying a layer on OSX 10.3.9.

Fixed a bug that would invert the colours in copied layers on the clipboard on OSX Intel.

Fixed a bug that prevented ArtRage recognising Canvas Size presets if there was no Canvas Size folder in its local Presets folder, even if there was one in the Application Support location.

Fixed a crash bug that could occur on merging groups.

ArtRage 2.5 Released 24th July, 2007

ArtRage 2.5 Updates

Major Feature Enhancements

Stencils & Rulers The Stencil Picker allows you to add Stencils and Rulers to your painting, for creating precise shapes, straight lines, and curves. Press ‘F’ to bring up the Stencil Picker, or click the Stencils button on the new Toolbox Panel. For more information, see the ArtRage Manual.

Layer Content Transformation You can now Move, Scale, and Rotate the contents of Layers using the Transform Layer Contents option in the Edit Menu.

Copy & Paste You can now copy the contents of a Layer using the Copy Layer to Clipboard option in the Edit Menu. You can Paste the contents of your clipboard to a new Layer using the Paste Clipboard to New Layer option in the Edit Menu.

Layer Groups & Layer Names You can now add Layer Groups, and name your Layers and Groups. For more information, see the Layers section of the manual.

Resolution Support In the New File or Resize panels you can now set the size of your image using pixels, inches, centimeters, or millimeters. You can also set the DPI resolution of your image.

Smooth Blender The Palette Knife now has a Smooth blending option which can be found in the Type picker of the Tool Controls Panel when the Palette Knife is selected.

Precise Pencil The Pencil now has a Precise option. Turning this option on makes your pencil sharper and more like a mechanical pencil. This option can be found in the Tool Controls Panel when the Pencil is selected.

Mousewheel Zoom The Mouse wheel on a mouse, or the Zoom Strip on Wacom Intuos 3 tablets can now be used to zoom the canvas.

Recent Files List You can access a list of recently used ArtRage files in the File Menu.

More Image Formats ArtRage 2.5 supports more image formats for Import and Export.

Internal Updater The ArtRage Updater has been built in to the application to make it easier to download and install updates.

Toolbox Panel The bottom of the ArtRage window now has a Toolbox Panel, from which you can access your Stencils, Tracing Images, and Reference Images.

Layers Panel The Layers Panel has been moved to the right of the window for easier access.

Color Samples Panel The Color Samples Panel that used to be on the right hand edge of the window is now a floating panel. You can bring it up by pressing ‘S’, or using the Show Color Samples Panel option in the Tools Menu or Color Picker menu. You can also name your color samples.

Languages ArtRage now supports English, French, and German from the same install. You can select your language from the Help menu.

OSX Application Bundle ArtRage now contains all of its resources internally on OSX so you don’t need to store a folder alongside the application, you can just install ArtRage 2.5 directly to your Applications Folder.

OSX Window Resizing The ArtRage window can now be manually resized on OSX using a resize handle at the bottom right.

Crash Recovery On Windows ArtRage attempts to save out your work to a temporary file (arrestart.ptg) if the application crashes.

Import To Layer You can now import an image to a new Layer in the current document, rather than having to import to a new document. Use the Import To Layer option in the File menu.

Bump Blend Modes The way ArtRage layers the volume of paint on Layers can be controlled from the Bump Blend Mode menu in the Layer Menus.

Canvas Zoom Shortcut Holding down Shift + Space and click-dragging the canvas, or holding down Shift and right click-dragging the canvas zooms it.

User Content Support Shifted User content such as Custom Pickers, Canvas Size Presets, Stencils, Canvas Presets etc. have been shifted to the user’s Application support folders. For more information, including information on how to move your ArtRage 2.2 content to ArtRage 2.5, see the ArtRage Support forums.

Improved Vista Support ArtRage 2.5 is Windows Vista Certified and supports Tilt and Rotate when using Ink Services under Vista.

Unofficial Technical Features

Light Switch If you want to turn off the lights in your image, to remove the appearance of volume for the paint, you can do so by pressing F5.

Export of Channels For technically minded users, selecting ‘Export Layer…’ from the Layers Menu while holding down Shift will export the contents of that layer to multiple image files for each channel (Color, Bump, Shininess, Reflectivity).

Toggle stencil display Pressing F6 will show/hide all the stencils on the canvas.

And a bunch of enhancements and bug fixes that made the list too long for easy reading!

ArtRage 2.2 Wacom Edition

Released 14th February, 2007

Fixes a bug that prevented the Wacom Edition from running on Windows Vista.

Photoshop Blend Modes ArtRage 2.2 supports all of the blend modes in Photoshop CS2. You can access these from the Layer Blending menu in the Layers Panel. Blend modes are imported and exported with PSD format documents.

Improved Memory Management Memory use has been improved so that large documents with multiple layers use significantly less memory than in version 2.1.

PTG File Thumbnails Your painting files are now given thumbnails in your OS.

Magnified Precise Cursors There is a now an option in the Preferences Menu to magnify the Precise Cursor to make it more visible.

Glitter Shape Glitter now has 5 options for the shape of glitter applied.

Grain Roughness Range Paper grain roughness can now be taken to negative numbers to invert the texture pattern.

Art Pen Option The Felt Pen now has an ‘Art Pen’ option that allows a denser pigment to be applied.

Color Sampler Added options to the color sampler to sample the true paint color and from a single layer if required.

Oil Thinners The Oil tool now allows you to thin your oils significantly. Everything over 50% thinners starts to make the paint transparent.

Reference Image Zoom You can now zoom the contents of reference images without changing the size of the reference pinned to the canvas.

Metallic Value Control You can now adjust the level of metallic color applied to your paint.

Tablet PC Numeric Entry Adjusted the Tablet PC build so that using handwriting recognition to enter text in to the ArtRage numeric text entries is easier.

Added a ‘Dry Brush’ function. When you take the Oil Brush Loading to 0% the brush applies no paint, you can use it to blend existing paint as if it was clean.

Added a ‘Quick Mirror’ function that allows you to do a quick ‘mirror check’ of your painting. Holding down the H key flips your painting horizontally, holding down the V key flips it vertically. When you release the key, the painting returns to its normal orientation. This function is for people who like to be able to do mirror checks of their work to check for structural problems.

You can now change the background colour used by ArtRage. If your canvas is smaller than the ArtRage window, select the colour you want and Alt/Option-Click the background. The default colour is white.

Added the name of your current painting to the titlebar of the ArtRage window.

The Spacebar can now be used to move the canvas. Hold the spacebar down and left click/drag to move the canvas. When you release the spacebar, your selected tool will work again. To rotate the canvas, hold down the spacebar then the Alt/Option key and left click/drag the canvas.

Changed how ArtRage stores its registration and user preference information so that multiple user accounts on one machine will have easier access to the application.

Added the ability to ‘oversize’ tools. When you single click the tool size preview you are prompted to enter a percentage value for the tool size. You can now manually enter sizes up to 500%. You can stil only use the standard size preview slide functionality to reach 100%, but some users had requested larger tools. Please note, you may experience some unusual behaviour in tools over 100%, we do not suggest using this feature unless you are working on extremely large documents.

Tweaks & Bug Fixes

Removed the painting’s file name from printed output.

Adjusted the felt pen to make it cut in to bump when you use it with moderate to high pressure.

Adjusted the flow rate of the airbrush to improve its look when used with the mouse.

Increased the base size of the roller so that it can get larger.

Fixed some bugs with the PSD import/export system, generally related to empty or 0 size layers.

Fixed a bug that was preventing changing paper settings prompting the user to save the document at appropriate times.

Fixed a bug that prevented the bottom layer being dragged up in the layer stack.

Fixed a bug that was causing the wrong canvas grain to appear in the canvas grain sample when creating a new document.

Fixed a bug that was causing incorrect updates in the canvas grain sample of the new file dialog when loading a custom grain.

Fixed a bug that prevented users right click/dragging the canvas to move it on OS X.

Fixed a bug that caused ArtRage to fail to load (with a file not found message) on OS X when launched from an account that did not ‘own’ the application in terms of permissions.

Fixed a bug that caused artifacting when moving a canvas that had been rotated 90 degrees.

Fixed a bug in the right click and hold tools (Airbrush and Glitter) that caused problems for Tablet PC users.

Fixed some smearing/smudging problems with glitter relating to when the paint was considered wet.

Fixed a bug that caused paintings created at unusual aspect ratios to appear off centre when displayed for the first time.

Fixed a bug that was causing opaque paper above layer 1 to be removed when merging.

Fixed a bug that was causing the felt pen to behave incorrectly when used with high Wetness on layers with transparent backgrounds. Blending should work properly now.

Fixed a bug that caused multiple transparent layers stacked on top of each other to produce halos around dark strokes.

Fixed a bug that caused custom paper grains that had colour to be loaded incorrectly when converting to greyscale.

Fixed a bug that caused ArtRage to close after trying to load an invalid file.

Fixed a bug that caused ArtRage to lock when double clicking an invalid painting file to load it.

Fixed a bug that would prevent overwriting canvas presets from the New File dialog even after being prompted to confirm the action.

ArtRage for iPhone provides 8 painting and drawing tools with a set of variant types for a range of painted effects. The ArtRage painting simulation is still in there, letting you spread and blend thick oils, or bring out canvas textures with shading pencils, and the interface has been designed for quick and convenient operation on a handheld device.

ArtRage for iPhone lets you share your paintings with other versions of the application, via the iTunes file sharing system or by email.

2012

Fixed a problem that could cause paintings to fail to generate a thumbnail preview in the gallery if they are too large (eg. Retina display paintings displayed on a non Retina iPhone).

Fixed a problem that could cause the Merge buttons when editing layers to update incorrectly after deleting or moving layers.

Fixed a problem that prevented emails with Painting files attached correctly opening the Painting in ArtRage when tapped.

ArtRage for iPhone 1.0.1

Released 5th January, 2012

Fixed a crash bug that would happen on iOS4 when returning to the gallery. You should now be able to manage your files properly. This was due to an unsupported feature relating to gallery rename gestures.

Replaced the non-working loaded palette knife preset. Please note that you may need to uninstall the app and reinstall it to see this change made, as the presets use files that the installer may not clean up. Before doing this, please back up your files.

ArtRage for iPad is a powerful, intuitive painting package that makes it easy to produce natural looking artwork on your iPad. It is based on ArtRage 3, and includes most of the same traditional tools, and intuitive approach. The interface has been adapted to the iPad platform, and is easy to use with finger or stylus.

Paintings from the iPad app can be easily exported to the desktop version, and Scripts can be played back at increasingly large sizes in order to create larger quality files.

Experiencing Problems?

If you experience a problem with ArtRage let us know using the Support Page. We’re happy to work through problems with you and in most cases we can quickly resolve the issue.

Speed issues or crashing can usually be resolved quickly and easily by closing parked apps and rebooting your iPad. Please see our instructions on how to clear your parked iPad apps.

In other cases we can use crash logs generated on your iPad to track down the exact cause of a problem and produce a fix. Many of the fixes listed in this update came about thanks to users who had problems telling us about them, so don’t hesitate to get in touch.

2016

ArtRage iPad 2.1.7

Released 7th November, 2016

Fixed a crash that occurred for some users when entering the gallery on iOS8 or 9

Fixed a problem that could cause the save prompt on iOS8 to appear too small to hold its various buttons

Fixed a bug that causes Page View painting previews on iOS10 to sometimes appear with a small preview based on collection view caching

Fixed a bug that could prevent the restoration of backed up galleries

ArtRage iPad 2.1.6

Released 18th October, 2016

Updated to the latest Adonit SDK for current stylus support

Fixed a crash that could occur when renaming files in the Gallery using iOS 10

Fixed some transition animations that weren’t working properly under iOS 10

ArtRage iPad 2.1.5

Released 20th May, 2016

Added a calibration slider on the ArtRage Settings page for Apple Pencil users. This slider allows you to adjust how hard you need to press to get full pressure strokes with the Pencil. Increase the value to increase the amount of pressure required.

ArtRage iPad 2.1.3

Released 29th January, 2016

Various crash fixes

ArtRage iPad 2.1.2

Released 13th January, 2016

Eliminated some blobs that could occur at the start of strokes made using the Apple Pencil if ‘Tap and Hold Color Sampling’ was turned off.

Removed a gap between the starting input point and the start of the visible stroke when ‘Tap and Hold Color Sampling’ was turned on.

Fixed a problem that caused square canvases to appear at the wrong orientation in some iPad orientations.

Fixed a problem that allowed canvases of too large a size to be loaded on some devices.

Fixed a problem that prevented three finger and numeric entry tool resizing being recorded correctly in scripts.

2015

ArtRage iPad 2.1.1

Released 31st December, 2015

This update includes Preset Picker changes to address some problems we’ve seen reported when selecting tool presets.

ArtRage for iPad 2.1 for iPad Pro Released. 14th December, 2015

Updated for iPad Pro with larger canvases and tools, added iOS9 Split screen support, and hooked up the Apple Pencil’s Tilt and Pressure features to further enhance the realism of our virtual painting tools. 2.1 also includes a large number of performance and memory enhancements along with fixes and other new general features.

iPad Pro & Apple Pencil Support:

Added Pressure and Tilt support for Apple Pencil and enhanced various tools to simulate the angle of the virtual brush head.

Increased the maximum size of various tools on iPad Pro for the new canvas sizes.

Features:

Added support for Split Screen functionality to the app.

Added Paint Loading to the Palette Knife tool in Flat and Edge modes.

Added the option to rotate the canvas, along with an optional toggle to limit rotation to 15 degree increments.

Added the option to have popup panels (Layers, Settings etc.) auto dismiss when you start painting.

Added non-uniform scaling to Layer Transform. Use the menu in the Transform view to turn on Stretch then scaling from the edges of the object will scale on that axis only. Scale from the corners when in this mode to scale uniformly.

Added the ability to ‘Hide Upper Layers’ in the Transform view.

Added a recovery button when the toolbar is hidden.

Added a visual selector for Wacom Stylus hand angles.

Improved stylus support across the board to remove erroneous gestures, add touch rejection, and support the latest iteration of SDKs including coalesced input point values.

Fixes & Improvements:

Swept through the app hunting memory leaks and killed a number that may have caused crashes.

Fixed a number of problems that could cause Undo to stop working when partial strokes were processed.

Completely replaced the canvas and gesture handlers to improve reliability and increase functionality.

Made some adjustments to the trigger point of background save on leaving the app to help avoid situations where a user closing the app by double tapping home and swiping it up would prevent save.

Added an optional warning on restart to prompt if the app was closed before save completed.

Added a warning when memory is low.

Fixed a bug that caused changes in the color picker to reset Metallic back to 0%.

Fixed a rare bug that could cause the toolbar interface to load twice in some launch situations.

Fixed a bug that prevented Pastel presets from updating the Wax/Chalk value.

Ensured that the toolbar is always displayed when returning to the app from the background.

ArtRage iPad 2.0.2

Released 28th October, 2015

Fixes & Improvements:

Fixed a bug that prevented import from Photos or the Camera when using ArtRage in languages other than English.

Prevented renaming a file in the gallery using the name of an existing file.

Fixed a problem that prevented Korean characters being displayed on iOS7

ArtRage iPad 1.6.3

Released 13th March, 2014

This update should resolve a problem that caused crashing when using the airbrush tool on iOS 7.1.

Supports iOS 6 or later

2013

ArtRage for iPad 1.6.2

Released 24th September, 2013

Bluetooth stylus support was preventing the app from launching on iOS4.

Some text items in the interface were not visible on iOS7 when using a Retina display.

ArtRage for iPad 1.6.1

Released 12th September, 2013

This build resolves a problem with the colour sampler that could cause the interface to become unresponsive after sampling with Tap and Hold sampling was turned off.

ArtRage for iPad 1.6.0

Released 2nd September, 2013

Update Note: If you are updating to 1.6 from 1.4 or earlier, please shut down ArtRage fully and restart your iPad before using it the first time. This helps to avoid speed problems in first time setup that could cause ArtRage to shut down before fully opening the first time you launch it, and makes sure application preferences are clean for the new version.

New Features:

Enhanced Stylus Support: ArtRage now supports the Wacom Intuos Creative Stylus and TenOne Pogo Connect Stylus in addition to the original model Adonit Jot Touch. For detailed information on how to use these three stylus types with ArtRage please see this FAQ: Pressure sensitive styluses for ArtRage iPad.

Optional Tap and hold color sampling: Due to requests from users we’ve made the tap and hold color sampling system optional. By default this is turned OFF. If you would like tap and hold to trigger the color sampler open the Settings app on your iPad and turn the preference on in the ArtRage section.

Fixes:

Airbrush Stroke Issues: We have replicated and fixed a problem that could cause odd brush stroke behavior or harsh edged non-undoable strokes to be generated if changing color or accessing other interface elements rapidly after completing an airbrush stroke. This problem was most visible when the airbrush was in Autoflow mode. Thanks to the users who put in the time to help us track this one down!

Changes to Save: We’ve made some changes to the save system to improve save speed. This may also assist in the rare cases we’ve seen reported where a file has failed to save properly.

Import Popover Dismissal: We’ve fixed a problem that could cause the Import from Photos or Camera popup to remain visible in the Gallery when accessing other menu items without completing the import operation.

Landscape Mode Drag: We have made some changes to stroke handling to fix a problem that could cause interface panels such as the tool picker and color picker not to get out of the way when you paint close to them.

Color Sampler Hiding: Fixed a rare situation that could result in the color sampler being hidden during a sample operation if you dragged quickly enough up and over it.

ArtRage for iPad 1.5.1

Released 7th August, 2013

New Features:

Added touch and hold color sampler access. Tap and hold still on the canvas to trigger color sampling. Once the color sampler curve appears above your finger you can drag around to sample color from the canvas. Release the drag and the tool you had previously selected is restored.

Adjusted panel behavior to prevent rogue paint dabs: To close a panel such as settings or samples just tap on the canvas. No paint event is processed until you do a second tap and drag.

Fixes:

Fixed a problem that could cause landscape paintings not to fit screen dimensions by default when created.

Adjusted gesture handling during stroke completion to prevent rogue gestures and paint strokes being generated if entered while a previous stroke is being processed.

Fixed a problem that caused script export not to be available in the Export menu when running in Korean.

Fixed a problem that could cause the canvas preview to be incorrectly positioned when first opening the New Painting dialog.

1.5.1: Fixed a problem that prevented presets being visible for users who updated from a previous version of ArtRage.

1.5.1: Fixed a problem that prevent Layer Blend Mode and Edit buttons being visible on the relevant panels for non-Retina iPad users.

2012

ArtRage for iPad 1.4

Released 20th March, 2012

iOS 3 Note: ArtRage for iPad 1.4 works on iOS 4 or later. Due to a problem uploading the original 1.3.2 update, some iOS3 users may have been able to download it and found that it did not work. We are currently testing potential fixes that will allow us to do a final update for iOS3 to resolve it, after which time we will unfortunately be dropping iOS3 support.

Changes:

Added full resolution interface for Retina iPad users, everything should be crisp and clear now.

Fixed a problem that caused text entry boxes to have black text against a dark background when entering percentage values for sliders.

Fixed a problem that could prevent cancellation of an attempt to link to a dropbox account when uploading to Dropbox.

Adjusted help system buttons to allow dynamic sizing to fit contents when localized strings were too long to fit their original length.

Prevented downloads on iOS3 while we work on a final iOS3 compatible build.

iPad 1.3.1

Released 5th January, 2012

Adds French, German, Japanese, and Korean localisations to the product.

Fixes a bug that prevented Layer Opacity changes from being recorded by scripts.

Improved feedback for large export operations so that you know when you’re about to upload huge files online or send by email.

Fixed a bug that could cause panels to lock partially transparent but inactive if you select an option from them quickly while they are fading (eg. select a preset then quickly select a second preset before the panel has finished vanishing).

ArtRage for iPad 1.2

Released 10th August, 2011

New Features:

ArtRage Script Recorder. With 1.2 you can record your paintings and play them back at higher resolution on a desktop machine using the Script Recorder. You can turn the Recorder on when creating a new file, and every stroke you paint will be recorded to a script file. Script files can be exported via iTunes or sent directly by email to play back in a desktop version of ArtRage.

So why is playing back a script at higher resolution better than scaling up the whole painting? When you scale up a finished image the quality will generally be reduced because the app that’s scaling it doesn’t know what detail goes in between the pixels that make up the original. When you play back a script however, the entire painting is recreated stroke by stroke at a larger size, so the individual paint strokes retain their original quality. It’s as if you were painting it again from scratch, having chosen a larger tool and canvas.

ArtRage Script Files exported from ArtRage for iPad are compatible with ArtRage Studio and Studio Pro.

PNG Export: As well as emailing and saving copies of your paintings to the Photos app you can now export PNG copies direct to the shared file space in iTunes.

Improvements & Fixes:

Updated the Help section on ‘Files’ to cover scripts and improve explanations of how to handle files in ArtRage.

Added troubleshooting tips to the Help section for users who experience speed problems: Many speed problems can be solved very simply by following a couple of easy steps. See the Speed & Memory section in the help files!

Adjusted Import Image to Layer to scale to fit the current canvas on import.

Fixed a problem importing images larger than 1440 x 1440 to layers and references. All forms of image import should now correctly handle images of any available size.

Imported photos on iPad 2 should no longer crop themselves incorrectly in the new canvas.

New Features:

iPad 1 & 2: The ArtRage Painting File format (PTG) has been registered to allow you to load paintings in to ArtRage from other applications on your iPad that support file opening (Mail, for example).

iPad 2: Camera support has been added to Importing Images, Importing to Layer, load Reference Images, and Tracing Images.

iPad 2: Maximum image size has been increased to 2048 x 2048.

Adjustments:

Adjusted the Back to Gallery button menu options. You can now save and save a duplicate directly from that menu, or return to the Gallery (which will prompt you if you need to save changes).

Changed how the painting orientation system works, to ensure that the painting is upright if its aspect matches your device orientation, and at a reasonable angle if it doesn’t.

Added a color sample under the finger when selecting colors in the color picker so you can see the resulting color more easily.

Turned of Smoothing on the Inking Pen and Precise Pencil by default to prevent pauses when calculating strokes.

Fixes:

Fixed a bug that caused the Wet mode Palette Knife blender to be slower on iPad 2.

Fixed a problem that could have caused a crash during save in some situations.

Paintings should no longer flip upside down when resetting scale/position with a two finger tap.

Fixed a problem that could cause paintings imported from the desktop version to require a tool selected before they could be painted on.

Fixed a problem that could cause folders imported to the gallery to display as invalid paintings.

Fixed a problem that could cause issues zooming to the corners in landscape oriented paintings.

Fixed a bug that could cause grey to be introduced in to blended results when using the wet blender near the edges of a stroke against a transparent background.

ArtRage for iPad 1.0.5

Released 28th February, 2011

Enhancements:

Significantly enhanced the speed of canvas zoom and pan.

Memory Warning: ArtRage uses a lot of memory to track properties of your paint such as its texture on the canvas, how wet it is, and other properties of physical media. This means it can sometimes be easy to run low on memory. A warning prompt now pops up on the ArtRage toolbar when your iPad detects memory is low, and the Help guide built in to the app gives you some steps you can take to help in these situations. Users who have experienced crashes are probably seeing the app shut down by the OS when memory runs out, this warning will help you spot when there might be a problem, and save your work if you want to restart.

‘Show Toolbar’ toggle button that appears when the toolbar is hidden. Some users reported that they lost their toolbar, this is probably due to accidentally tapping with three fingers (the toolbar show/hide shortcut). The new toggle makes sure that if you have hidden the toolbar you know how to get it back.

Save Prompt (turned on/off via your iPad’s Settings app) – If on, a quick Save button pops up on the toolbar every 10 minutes if the painting contains unsaved changes, so that you can quickly save your work.

Improved painting orientation detection to avoid the painting appearing in the wrong orientation when opened.

Other Changes:

Fixed a problem that prevented Flip Horizontal working correctly in layer transformations.

Improved painting placement in the gallery to reduce instances of paintings appearing in the wrong position.

Fixed a problem that prevented ArtRage saving color samples when closed from the multitasking bar.

2010

ArtRage for iPad 1.0.4

Released 3rd December, 2010

New to 1.0.4:

Support for printing from iOS4.2.

Support for iOS4.2 Multitasking: ArtRage will now park itself in the background when switched away from, and return when re-launched. The splash screen may appear briefly while the interface reconstructs.

ArtRage Studio and Studio Pro are the two versions of ArtRage 3. We no longer sell either edition, but they are still available as bundled software from third parties.

We brought out an important update in 2013 to make ArtRage Studio & Studio Pro compatible with Mavericks. If you purchased ArtRage as bundled software on CD or pre-installed, then you may not have this update.

You can download the latest update directly from our Member Area, or, if you purchased ArtRage on Steam, the updates will be downloaded automatically.

ArtRage 4 Released 13th February, 2013

2012

ArtRage Studio & Studio Pro 3.5.9

Released 18th October, 2012

Fixes a problem that appeared in 3.5.8 that could cause the application to check for updates whenever launched and not remember when the update check flag had been turned off. This update is for versions of Studio and Studio Pro purchased directly from us or received with a hardware bundle, applications downloaded via Steam do not require this fix.

ArtRage Studio & Studio Pro 3.5.8

Released 10th October, 2012

A reworking of tablet support to allow systems that have multiple registered tablet devices such as the new Sony Vaio to correctly report the pressure range for their input systems.

ArtRage Studio & Studio Pro 3.5.5

Released 25th July, 2012

For Mac OS X 10.8: Added developer certification support to allow the app to run when Gatekeeper is active. For more information, see this thread.

Added translations for Spanish and Japanese.

2011

ArtRage Studio & Studio Pro 3.5.4

Released 22nd October, 2011

Problems relating to the Color Adjustment and Blur panels have been resolved. Using the panels should no longer cause problems when applying subsequent paint strokes.

We resolved a problem with script playback that could cause stencils that were scaling and moving during the script to fail to do either if the script was played back more than once in a given session.

We’ve adjusted the Multitouch system to prevent instances of single touch paint strokes turning in to multitouch gestures during the stroke. This is primarily useful for users of optical multitouch devices where other things touching the screen (or a brush head splitting and being detected as two touches) could cause problems during painting.

ArtRage Studio & Studio Pro 3.5.3

Released 5th September, 2011

Corrected a problem that could cause double strokes when the ink pen applied smoothing after the eraser had been used by inverting a tablet stylus.

Adjusted script import so that double clicking a script to launch ArtRage cannot cause problems with other model prompts such as update checks.

Fixed a problem that prevented layers with imported images scaling properly in scripts imported from the iPad.

Fixed a possible crash that could occur if scripts were played back below 50% of their original size.

ArtRage Studio & Studio Pro 3.5.2

Released 23rd August, 2011

Fixes

Fixed a problem related to panel positions and contents on OS X. The problem could cause panels to hide themselves during painting without the cursor entering their precise area. Also fixed a problem that could prevent the window redrawing on OS X after switching to Full Screen mode from the menu bar.

Fixed a problem that could cause the app to pause for a long time before prompting for image import when an image was dragged on to the app window. Double clicking script files on Windows should now open them in ArtRage.

Fixed a problem in the OS X thumbnail viewer that was preventing it generating thumbnails for some files.

Fixed a bug that could cause white layers to darken on merge when the Tint layer blend mode was active.

ArtRage Studio & Studio Pro 3.5.1

Released 26th July, 2011

Scripting Issues

Dropping an ARScript file on to the ArtRage window should now trigger script loading.

Corrected the Script File icon on OS X.

Fixed a problem with ‘Wait (rVariable)’ in manual script files.

Fixed a problem that prevented the sampler tool being manually scripted in stroke events.

Added SampleColour(x, y) to the script language to allow manual sampling of colour at a point.

Fixed a problem that could prevent script playback scaling the paper texture correctly when playing back a script at a different resolution.

Other Fixes

Fixed a crash that could occur when open the Grain Picker and closing it without selecting a grain.

Fixed a crash that could occur on app startup for OS X 10.4 users.

Fixed a bug that could cause some panels on OS X 10.7 to appear in the wrong location when opening, or be too small or devoid of contents. This fix also ensures panels will only vanish during painting if you paint in to their region.

ArtRage Studio/Studio Pro 3.5 Released 8th July, 2011

ArtRage 3.5 updates

Major Changes

Multithreading: Supports multicore processors, spawning multiple threads while it works to speed up tools and many other processes in the application.

Scripting: Allows users to record the process of painting for playback on other machines.

Play back scripts at standard or accelerated speed to see the painting constructed live.

Play back scripts at different resolutions, recreating your artwork at other sizes.

(Studio Pro) Record whole or partial paintings in a Script File that can be shared with other users.

(Studio Pro) Annotate scripts as you record with Note Bubbles and Spotlights that draw the viewer’s attention to areas of the canvas during playback.

(Studio Pro) Scripts are saved with the painting as you work, allowing you to come back to a session and continue recording later.

Supports a full, function based scripting language that provides support for variable manipulation and user interaction. Script authors can create branching process scripts that can automate and control most of the functionality of the application.

Package Files: Gather together sets of custom content such as stickers, presets, stencils and more in to a single, easy to use file that can be shared with other users.

Package Files can be installed with a double click. ArtRage extracts and installs the contents automatically to the user content folders.

Installed Packages save a receipt which allows easy uninstallation or repair at a later date.

(Studio Pro) Create Package Files with author notes and a preview image to personalize it before distribution.

(Studio Pro) Save out partially completed Package Files to a Template so that you can work on them over multiple sessions.

Content Management: ArtRage now includes easier management of custom content from within the application. Right click custom content items such as Stickers, Stencils, and Presets to rename or Delete them from within the application.

Other Features & Improvements

Palette Knife Loading: The Blade and Edge Palette Knives can now be loaded with paint before use, allowing you to create smooth flat strokes of paint on the canvas.

(Studio Pro) Loaded Palette Knives have additional control over angle during painting.

Soft Media Adjustment: Chalks, Crayons, and Pencils have been softened to improve their interaction with the canvas texture.

(Studio Pro) Aibrush Controls: Controls for stroke hardness and spatter have been added to the airbrush.

Precise Color Picker: The Precise Color Picker can now be left open while you work.

Invert Selection: An Invert Selection button has been added to the Selection Settings panel.

Interface Adjustments: The interface has been given a clean up to compact some shadows and improve control consistency.

PTG Preview Transparency: Added support for transparency masks in the flattened preview in PTG files. This allows ArtRage to import a PTG with Transparency to a layer, and other applications that read PTG to see the painting without its canvas background if the canvas has been made transparent.

The Preset Pane now remembers which Preset Group you were in between sessions.

The Canvas Positioner can now be toggled using its button on the menu and its keyboard shortcut, rather than just being shown.

Large aspect canvases can now have their target position set when you resize the canvas.

Added a right click menu to the top and bottom blocks of Group entries in the Layer Panel.

Realtime Stylus Support: Tablet support for Windows has been rewritten to support Realtime Stylus, which covers a larger range of stylus and touch based input devices.

Added a French Manual to the application.

Adjusted Zoom Level handling after Resizing the Canvas to ensure that the resulting canvas fits properly in the window after the resize operation.

Improved right click handling on the canvas to make it easier to hide the UI without moving the canvas.

Improved user feedback when attempting to delete a preset file that no longer exists on disk.

Improved user feedback when attempting to import a non-image file as a Reference Image.

Adding a new group in the New Preset Panel, where a group of that name already exists, now selects that Group in the Group List rather than not doing anything.

Fixes & Tweaks

Improved Palette Knife blending to prevent paint going darker when using the Knife to blend at the edge of a painted area over transparency.

Corrected a problem that could cause the app to slow down after hiding or showing a layer.

Addressed a number of situations that could cause square artifacts in a Watercolor stroke after using a dry brush, or in some blending situations where strokes interact.

Fixed artifacts that could occur in Ink Pen strokes when painting while zoomed in.

Corrected a problem that could cause Text Selections not to update visually while editing text.

Fixed artifacts that could occur in some cases painting over partially transparent Stencils.

Fixed a number of situations that could cause the app to become unresponsive in some cases on OS X when double clicking buttons or the grain preview in the Canvas Panel, or right clicking on sliders.

Corrected some issues with layer merging that could cause paint to dry, and paint texture to be removed or damaged.

Fixed artifacts that could occur when Groups that used the Pass Through blend mode were merged to a single layer.

Torn off Tool and Color Panels are now visible after restarting the app.

Sticker sheet panels have been resized vertically to ensure their contents are fully visible.

Corrected a problem that could occur when opening a sticker sheet below a certain size.

The Color Sample Name Edit is not longer offset when the Color Samples panel is scaled to a size other than 100%.

Removed Scaling support from Tooltips to ensure they always display at legible sizes.

The brush head proxy for the Wet Blender is now visible when scaling using Shift-Drag on the canvas.

Stickers that have been flipped will no longer un-flip when their tint is adjusted.

Sticker Opacity can now be correctly set from the Sticker Menu button in the Layer Panel.

Corner roundels no longer appear in the wrong position after changing global UI scale with UI hidden.

Corrected a number of minor translation errors in the non English versions.

The Presets Panel no longer resets to the default Preset Group when you changed tool settings while the panel was closed.

Fixed a crash that could occur when setting the Filters system to scan the Library folder on OS X.

The Refs Pod now updates the number of loaded References when the list is cleared.

Tablet Preference changes now prompt for restart if made via a keyboard shortcut.

The default name for new groups added to Resource Collections is not longer ‘Add Group’.

The number of presets listed in the presets pod now updates correctly after removing a preset.

The Transform Rig now reappears after moving the transformed area using the arrow keys on the keyboard.

Removed ‘All Files’ type options from Windows Save dialogs.

Please Note: Due to some of the new feature requirements we have had to drop support for OS X 10.3 and PPC Macs. The OS X version of 3.5 runs on 10.4 or later Intel macs only.

2010

ArtRage Studio/Studio Pro 3.0.8

Released 29th October, 2010

Features

Cursor Opacity: At the request of a number of screencasting or video painting users, the Precise Cursor now has an Opacity slider so you can make it completely invisible. OS Arrow cursors etc. will still be visible.

Sticker Shadows: Sticker sheets now have a Shadow toggle that can be used to turn off the shadow on stickers you place individually by peeling from the sheet. When sticker sheets are created they can have the Shadow toggle set OFF, when the sheet is opened for use the toggle reflects the original sheet’s preference.

Wintab Toggle: Added a ‘Use Wintab’ toggle to the Input Preferences panel on Windows. Users who have problems due to the interaction of Wintab and Ink Services can now tell ArtRage to ignore Wintab in cases where it causes an issue. Previously, users could only ignore Ink Services.

Ink Pen Tapering: Added Tapering to the Inking Pen. The tapering option allows you to automatically replace the pressure curve of the ink pen with a smooth tapered result when auto-correction happens at the end of the stroke. This feature comes to you courtesy of the ArtRage for iPad development process.

Clear: The Edit Menu now has a ‘Clear’ option that is active when there is a selection set, it clears the contents of the selection. Feel free to assign Delete to it in the shortcuts panel, or reset your shortcuts to default and it will be auto-assigned.

Presets: ArtRage tracks the current selected preset and no longer deactivates its highlight when you change brush size. This means that the preset you selected will remain lit up until you make a change to the general settings of the tool.

OS X QuickView: After installing the new version application and opening it once, PTG files will be previewable using the Quick View option in OS X.

Fixes

Fixed a colour blending bug that could introduce blue in to greyscale blending with the oil and other tools.

Fixed a bug that prevented layers properly saving their Use Canvas Texture flag.

Ensured that if a preset has been selected for a tool, when opening the presets panel for that tool it will be visible in the list.

Fixed a bug that prevented resource panel tile highlights going brighter to display the text over them if the UI tint was too low in luminance.

Fixed a bug that caused ArtRage to prevent OS X shutdown if it was open and no changes had been made to the painting.

Fixed a bug that prevented the ‘type’ of certain tools being highlighted in the settings panel when the UI tint was grey (eg. type of selection shape and construction mode).

Corrected a problem in the manual’s description of the Transform tool.

Fixed a bug that could cause layer group duplication or incorrect layer stack placement after undoing then redoing adding a layer group.

Fixed a crash that would occur when launching ArtRage by double clicking a PTG file that had the Polygonal Selection tool selected when saved.

Fixed a crash that could occur when deleting a custom picker from disk when it was visible in the picker collection, then clicking it in the collection again.

Fixed a bug that caused problems with the Width/Height values in the Crop/Resize panel when adjusting the Percentage size of an image in Print Mode.

Fixed a bug that caused the Color Picker to lose Saturation value after closing and reopening when 0 luminance colours were selected.

Fixed a bug that caused ArtRage to fail to save its preferences on OSX if the app closed due to an OS reboot rather than the user manually quitting.

Fixed a bug that prevented Dutch being selected automatically when automatic language selection is on and Dutch is the OS language.

ArtRage Studio & Studio Pro 3.0.7

Released 17th June 2010

Re-release including an Italian translation and manual.

ArtRage Studio & Studio Pro 3.0.7

Released 17th May 2010

Important.

Windows users who upgrade from a previous version may need to re-enter their Serial Number the first time they run 3.0.7. Your Serial Number will be displayed on the download page before you can download the new version, please copy it so that it can be easily entered when you launch the new version (if you copy it to your clipboard it should appear automatically in the product when it starts). This is due to a change in the security manifest included in the software.

Changes

ArtRage now remembers the image format you used to export images of various kinds. Wherever the application allows you to select an image format for export, it will now remember the last format used for that operation.

You can now drop image files of any type on to the ArtRage application icon to open the application and prompt with standard import options.

The units displayed on the second edge of a ruler can now be changed via right click on the ruler.

You can now drag a ruler off the stencils panel the same way you can drag standard stencils.

Windows file association has been adjusted in the installer to allow you to move around installed files and not have the installer attempt to ‘repair’ ArtRage when you double click a PTG. Windows users should now be able to shift around shortcuts and rename or remove stencils that were installed with the product.

The Windows installer now prompts for a folder name for the start menu shortcut if selected.

Fixes

Resetting the rotation of a reference image correctly resets its preview in the reference panel now.

The water glass pod will no longer be visible on starting the app if the tool does not call for it to be visible.

The presets panel now updates to display the group a new preset was added to, even if that group was created in the Add Preset panel.

Mousing over a reference image now brings up the zoom/pan controls for only that reference image.

Save will no longer overwrite the arrestart.ptg if it was loaded automatically on startup. Saving a recovered painting will always prompt for file name.

Fixed a crash related to font lists that could occur on OSX when starting the application.

Adjusted the ArtRage manifest file to fix Side by Side errors encountered on Windows both on installation and in the event log.

Fixed a bug that caused problems redoing after undoing the addition of an unfixed sticker. This could lead to redo stack corruption.

The default canvas type is now applied to the canvas when you Import an image.

Fixed a problem that could cause the Auto tag to appear on the colour picker pod when no tracing image was loaded.

The default canvas is no longer made transparent after importing an image.

Fixed a crash that could occur in very rare situations where there was a hole in a layer of a specific size that could cause a compression problem.

ArtRage Studio & Studio Pro 3.0.6

Released 15th February, 2010

The original upload of 3.0.6 had a small problem that prevented correct operation for French, German, and Dutch users. We have uploaded a new version that will work correctly for all users. If you are using ArtRage Studio or Studio Pro in any language other than English and have already downloaded 3.0.6, please download it again.

Windows users will need to uninstall the previous installation of 3.0.6 before installing the new one. OS X users can just install the new one over the old one.

Changes

Pod Hiding: Unwanted pods can now be hidden using the Pods menu in the View Menu. Tool, Menu and Colour pods can’t be hidden but all others can.

Photoshop Brush Head Import: Using the menu on the Presets Panel when the Sticker Spray is selected you can now import brushes from most Photoshop ‘.abr’ files. When you select the Import Photoshop Brush option you are given the option of selecting an ‘.abr’ file to import from. When you have selected the file you are presented with a list of available brushes. Select brush heads from the list (Shift-click to multiselect blocks, Ctrl/Cmd click to select single additional items, Ctrl/Cmd-A to select all, Ctrl/Cmd-D to deselect all). When you click OK, a preset is generated for each brush head in the current category of sticker spray presets. You can the edit the variants as you need to create the desired effect.

Please note: Some abr files use procedural brush heads that we are currently unable to read.

Non-Paintable Warning: When you attempt to use a tool on a layer that cannot support (eg. knife tool on a text layer) a warning icon appears.

JPEG Export Quality: The export quality used by the app for JPEGs can now be set in the Export settings of the Preferences panel. Future implementations should allow it to be set on each export but this is a reasonable first step.

Right Clicking Pods: Right clicking a pod now triggers the same event as Click and Hold, which allows people who have Click and Hold -> Right Click helpers to use the pods properly.

Photoshop Filter Support: Thanks to assistance from users having problems with specific filter sets, and support from the authors of those filters, we have improved general support for Photoshop Filters and the application should now work with a wider range.

Fixes

Corner roundels now position themselves correctly when they reappear if they are hidden by Clear Canvas when the window resizes.

Removed the ‘Register’ option from the Help Menu in the Studio Pro demo.

Fixed a bug that could prevent layer stack updates when the transform tool was used to select a layer.

Fixed a bug that caused spaces to appear after accented characters in a text layer after the file had been saved and reloaded.

Prevented the palette knife tool generating a new layer when used on a text layer.

Fixed a bug that caused file extensions to capitalise on OSX during export.

Fixed a bug that caused the Ink Services toggle to always appear ON when accessing the settings panel, even if it was actually turned off.

Fixed a bug that prevented Page Up and Page Down from persisting in keyboard shortcuts.

Fixed a bug that caused Okaying the Preferences Panel to prompt for restart even when nothing had been changed.

Fixed a bug that could cause odd behaviours when double clicking using a stylus double click rocker button on OSX. The previous system could make it look as if the application had locked up due to multiple dialogs attempting to open.

Fixed a bug that could crash ArtRage when duplicating a group that contained text layers.

Fixed the HLS variants of the Hair Brush sticker spray preset.

Fixed a bug that prevented the canvas updating when importing an image while the text tool is selected.

Fixed a crash that could occur on closing the sticker sheet creator with 0 selected for columns and rows.

Removed *.* file type from Save As dialogues. As part of this, fixed a crash that could occur when saving a file as *.* in the Save dialog.

Fixed a crash that could occur when opening the Edit Menu when filters that had certain characters in their name (< and > for example) had been added to the list of filters to scan.

Fixed a bug that could cause ArtRage to crash when running certain filters twice.

Fixed an update bug that caused the Presets, Settings and Tool Picker panels to display the wrong settings if the current tool was changed via a shortcut key while in Clear Canvas mode.

Fixed a bug that prevented NikSoftware Viviza Photoshop Plugins working (many thanks to NikSoftware for their fantastic feedback and assistance!). The fixes we applied should also work for a range of other filters.

Fixed a crash that could occur when undoing and redoing the hiding of a group in the layer stack.

Improved support for Wacom Bamboo Touch gesture operations on OS X and are working with Wacom to ensure that their next driver update contains additional information that will improve gesture processing on both platforms.

Fixed a problem that could sometimes cause panels to appear off-screen in OS X 10.4.

2009

ArtRage Studio/Studio Pro 3.0.5

Released 24th December, 2009

Fixes

Fixed a bug that prevented strokes being completed on mouse up on some Tablet PC devices with older drivers or specific hardware configurations.

Fixed a crash that could occur when switching off ink-services in the ArtRage preferences panel for some hardware configurations.

Fixed a problem that could cause a dark blob of paint at the start of each paint stroke for some users with specific tablet configurations.

Fixed a bug that prevented layers above 0 being selected on G4/G5 Macs.

Fixed a crash bug that would occur after holding down H or V for some time doing a quick mirror.

Fixed a bug that prevented pasting data from external applications on OSX 10.6 and in some cases 10.5.

These keys can now be customised in the Tools section of the shortcut panel. Because the old keys have been removed you will either need to reset your shortcuts to default or add those keys in manually using the shortcuts panel from the Edit menu.

A history of bug fixes and new features found in the version updates for ArtRage 4.5. These are free incremental updates for improving your purchased software.

ArtRage Lite uses the same version number and is updated at the same time as ArtRage 4, as it has the same bugs, compatibility requirements, and improvements. With the exception of features that are only found in ArtRage 4, all of the updates below also apply to ArtRage Lite.

Windows 2-in-1 Support: ArtRage 4.5.4 includes support for Windows devices that include a ‘2-in-1’ switch. In general these devices are tablet devices with a docking system, or laptop devices with the ability to switch to tablet mode. ArtRage can be set to respond when compatible devices switch between desktop/tablet mode by turning on the 2-in-1 preference in the Advanced section of the Preferences Panel. When a compatible device switches to Tablet mode, ArtRage increases the scale of its user interface slightly to aid touch accessibility. This preference is turned off by default.

Important Note: Due to the way 2-in-1 switching is handled by Windows, devices that do not support it (including desktop computers) report to applications that they are always in Tablet mode. Please do not turn this preference on if you are not sure that you are using a 2-in-1 device.

2014

Fixed a bug that caused Export Image to fail when exporting from a Layer to PNG or PSD on Mac OS X specifically.

Fixed a problem in the Windows 64-bit executable version manifest that could cause system log warnings and potentially crashes on some machines with specific user permission settings.

Fixed a problem in scripts that could cause extremely light strokes to be too heavy on playback. This change should allow some scripts that have problems with strokes being too dark to play back correctly.

Fixed a problem that could cause a script to go in to Stopped state incorrectly during playback.

Fixed a problem that could cause script playback errors when smart quotation marks were entered in a script file.

ArtRage 4.5.1

Released 13 August, 2014

Fixes

Fixed a bug that caused save to fail when running ArtRage on Mac OS X in a language other than English that ArtRage supports natively (FR, DE, NL, ES, JA, RU).

Fixed a bug that caused the rotational component of live tilted pencils to adjust based on stroke direction on OS X, causing darker edges of tilted strokes to shift sides based on stroke angle rather than pen angle.

Fixed a bug that prevented the app recognising 32 bit Photoshop plugins when in 32 bit mode on Windows.

Fixed a bug that prevented package files created on Windows from being installed on Mac OS X.

Fixed a bug that caused problems with Colour Adjustment when played back from a script with a non-rectangular selection active.

Fixed a bug that prevented right click menus in Scraps and Views processing on OS X in 64 bit mode.

Fixed an installer bug that prevented the desktop shortcut being installed on Windows when requested.

Fixed an installer bug that assigned incorrect icons to the various ArtRage file types on Windows.

ArtRage 4.5 Released 11th August, 2014

64-Bit Support: ArtRage 4.5 now supports 64 bit operating systems, which means it can use significantly more memory on your 64 bit computer. As a result the application is significantly faster and can work with much larger canvases than it could previously. See below for details.

Grids: The Grids button on the ArtRage menu bar lets you turn on canvas grid overlays which can be used as structural guides while you paint.

Live Pencil Tilt: The pencil tool now supports Stylus Tilt where available, allowing you to tilt the pencil during strokes to vary the breadth of the ‘lead’ impression on the canvas.

List Item Reorganisation: You can now manually reorder color samples and toolbox panel items by dragging them in their list.

Workbench Reorganisation: You can now manually reorder items on the pinboard, and there is a new Color Samples section to the Workbench that prevents samples from interfering with Pinboard space.

Multitouch on OS X: We’ve added Scale and Rotate gesture support on OS X if you’re using an input device that provides them.

Resource Duplicate / Move: You can now duplicate items in resource collections and move items between collections by right clicking them and selecting the appropriate option.

Selection sets are now saved with documents: Active selection sets will now be saved with your document so that they are available on reload.

Fixes & Changes:

Significantly improved the speed of transform operations on the canvas, beyond the standard speed increase in the 64 bit version.

Significantly improved the speed of large Undo and Redo operations, beyond the standard speed increase in the 64 bit version.

Fixed a bug that could cause the selection tool to fail to work on in some modes on a small number of Windows 8 devices using some stylus input

systems.

Fixed a bug that could cause strokes made after the eraser tip of a stylus was used during scripting to be recorded as eraser rather than the correct tool.

Stencil removal added to scripting.

Clone tool has been added to scripting.

Added initial selection set state to scripts that were started with the current canvas included.

Fixed artefacts that could occur while dragging transform areas.

Prevented the text tool selecting text on a hidden layer when clicking on the canvas to select a text layer.

Fixed a bug that caused paint stroke grain interactions to be offset from the position of the visible grain in the canvas.

Fixed a bug that caused pencil strokes to project slightly beyond the point at which stroke drag ended.

Fixed a bug that prevented Save Toolbox from working if your toolbox only contained color samples.

Fixed a bug that prevented the workbench updating if you loaded a toolbox while the workbench was open.

Added Shift + K as the default shortcut for the clone tool – Note that you will need to reset your keyboard shortcuts to see this.

Moved Global Color Samples to their own file so that resetting preferences no longer resets them as well.

Fixed a bug that could cause the wrong preset to be highlighted as ‘active’ when you load a painting file – Only files saved in 4.5 or later will highlight the correct preset, earlier files don’t contain the information required.

Disabled file based editing options in the right click menu for Rulers in the Stencil Panel to prevent ‘File Not Found’ errors when those operations were attempted on the virtual ruler.

Fixed a bug that could cause symmetry reflected tools to use the wrong settings if switching between some specific presets with the symmetry system active.

Adjusted sticker sheets so that the sheet vanishes temporarily as you peel a sticker off, allowing for placement beneath it on the canvas.

Fixed a bug that made pinboard indicators in the Toolbox incorrectly greyed out when an object was first added to the list.

Adjusted the error message displayed when attempting to import a non-image file in to a map slot in the sticker creator to remove the ‘success’ indicator.

Fixed a bug that caused multitouch panning on OS X 10.9 to work slowly.

64 Bit Version:

Mac OS X: The ArtRage installer installs a single application that works in both 32 and 64 bit modes. By default the application opens in the mode appropriate to the computer you are running on. 64 bit OS users can force the application to run in 32 bit mode by selecting the ArtRage icon in the Applications folder, select Get Info from the Finder’s File Menu and turning on the ’32 bit Mode’ checkbox. Turning that off will revert the application to 64 bit next time it launches.

Windows: The ArtRage installer detects the type of operating system you are using and installs the appropriate version. If you are using a 32 bit operating system only the 32 bit version is installed. If you are using a 64 bit operating system the ArtRage.exe that is installed will be 64 bit but we also install ArtRage32.exe, a 32 bit version that you can launch if you need to. Please note that the installation location of ArtRage 4.5 may be in either the Program Files (x86) folder if you had a previous version installed, or the Program Files folder – The installation location makes no difference to whether the 64 bit version will launch correctly.

Windows XP Users: Unfortunately ArtRage 4.5 is not compatible with Windows XP. Owners of ArtRage 4 purchased from our store can still download the older 4.0 version from the Member Area whenever you need it but the updated version will not work on your operating system. Owners of ArtRage 4 on Steam can opt in to the Windows XP Branch of the product by locating ArtRage in your Library, right clicking and selection Properties, then in the Beta Tab opting in to the WinXP branch. This will make sure that your version of ArtRage remains at 4.0.

Text Adjustments:

ArtRage 4.5 treats text slightly differently to the older version in order to fix some problems that could arise when selecting fonts without a text layer active. When you select a font, what happens depends upon the current active text selection you have. Here’s how it works:

If you have an active text selection, that text is updated to the new selected font.

If you have a caret active in a text layer but no selection, the new font is used when you start typing.

If you have no caret active but you are on a text layer, the entire layer is updated to the new font.

If you do not have a text layer active, the font selection remains and that font will be used next time you create a new text object.

The new Font Picker allows you to select fonts from a dialog list rather than a menu. It supports navigation keys for scrolling and you can start to type the name of the font you want to skip to that point in the list. Double click a font or select it then click OK to choose the new font.

Workbench & Item List Changes:

Items in the Color Samples panel, Toolbox panel, Workbench Color Samples area, and Pinboard can now be dragged to reposition them manually.

Items in the Color Samples panel can be dragged between the Global and Local sections if you want, or just rearranged inside their own section.

Items in the Toolbox panel can only be dragged within their own category. For example, you can’t drag a Preset in to the Stencils category.

The Workbench Color Samples area is a resizable area that lists all of the current Toolbox Samples if any exist – You can resize this area as you want and as samples get added they will expand downwards within that area rather than eating in to the Pinboard.

Items on the Pinboard when in Workbench mode can be reordered around each other as you wish.

2013

ArtRage 4.0.6

Released 28th October, 2013

Fixes

Fixed a bug in 4.0.5 that prevented check for updates completing the check.

Note: Because the bug in 4.0.5 relates to update checking, the Steam version does not require this update.

ArtRage 4.0.5

Released 22nd Oct 2013

Tablet Support Changes

We’ve made some changes to the way ArtRage handles pressure ranges on Windows systems that use the Realtime Stylus for tablet support and have more than one digitiser device registered with the system. This should address low pressure ranges reported on the new Sony Vaio devices that were experiencing problems with light strokes. It should also allow support for correct pressure input on devices that have multiple digitisers plugged in.

Fixes

Fixed a problem that could cause PSD files written by some applications other than Photoshop importing with bad layer data.

Fixed a bug that could cause menus on OS X to become inaccessible after attempting to use Adjust Colors or other layer editing effects on a hidden layer.

ArtRage 4.0.4

Released 29th May, 2013

Fixes

Fixed a problem that could cause cursor behaviour issues on Windows running with a 150% magnified screen. See technical notes here.

Fixed a bug that could prevent Package Files written in ArtRage 3 that contained Chalk presets not to install properly in ArtRage 4.

Fixed a memory leak that could occur on uninstalling Package Files.

Fixed a crash that could occur in situations where the app was unable to read the contents of the Tool Presets Collection folders.

ArtRage 4.0.3

Released 3rd May, 2013

Fixes

Fixed a bug that would cause the app to become unresponsive on OS X when checking for updates in full screen mode.

Fixed a bug that allowed menus on OS X to be accessed while a modal panel was up.

Fixed a bug that caused non-compressed PSD files to appear with a black background on import.

Fixed a bug that caused files that had a group as their base layer to save without creating a pseudo-canvas layer when exporting to PSD.

Fixed a bug that caused DPI and Unit Type changes made while using the Resize panel to be lost on apply.

Fixed a problem that could cause script nesting errors in long scripts when rulers had been applied and removed.

Fixed a bug that caused DPI and Unit Type changes made while using the Resize panel to be lost on apply.

Fixed a bug that could cause the layout of the toolbox panel to be incorrect if Show Samples With Names was toggled when no toolbox samples had been added and the toolbox panel was open.

Fixed a rare crash that could occur on OS X when using a complex selection set in a large document and triggering transform.

Fixed a rare crash that could occur when using auto-repeating tools such as the airbrush or wet blenders in scraps and views.

Changes & Additions

Made a change to memory handling that should allow addressing of larger memory space on Windows. Previous builds were not using the full 32 bit address range.

Adjusted the layout of the Samples panel to reduce Herman Grid illusion problems.

Clicking the entry for a reference in the Reference panel now brings that reference to the top.

Exporting a layer will now set the default name of the exported file to the layer’s name if it has one.

Ambient Design is a New Zealand based software development company specializing in creative tools for artists.

Our work across desktop and mobile platforms focuses on creating natural tools with intuitive interfaces. These let artists from both traditional and digital backgrounds paint without having to learn digital tricks to get realistic results.